Where Do We Go From Here?
by gossipgirl1031
Summary: Sequal to In the Dark No One Can Hear You Scream. Booth and Brennan are home finally and face the consequences from their last assignment. How will they manage? Can their new relationship survive? BB. CHAPTER 18 NOW FINALLY UP!
1. Chapter 1

_Title - **Where Do We Go From Here?**_

_Rating - **T** (at least for now, may eventually move to **M**)._

_Spoilers – Not really any that I could really think of. Just set after my own story. So, I guess there would be spoilers for In the Dark No One Can Hear You Scream. If you haven't finished it and don't want to be spoiled, don't read this yet._

_Author's Note-This story is a follow up to **In the Dark No One Can Hear You Scream**. If you haven't read it, you will probably be confused at times in this story. I highly recommend reading it before you begin this one. _

_This will be different from my other story. It will focus more on the Booth/Brennan relationship and cases will be more of side notes. I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from reading it. It takes place a few days after the ending of the first one. Brennan has been released form the hospital AMA after agreeing to have someone stay with her. Booth and Brennan have arrived back in D.C._

_Must add standard disclaimer about not owning the rights to Bones here. However, if you see any characters you don't recognize, it's a good possibility that they're mine and I guess you could say that I own them._

_Enjoy! _

Chapter One

"Booth I can handle the bags myself. I'm not an invalid you know!"

"Bones there is no way I could ever think that. I would probably get my ass kicked if the thought ever did cross my mind."

"You better believe it!" She flashed him a charm smile of her own as she tried to pry the heavy suitcase out of Special Agent Seeley Booth's hands. He was having none of it though.

"The doctors at the hospital specifically said no heavy lifting. They weren't all that thrilled about releasing you so soon in the first place."

"I'll be fine Booth."

"You grab that small duffle over there and bring it inside. I'll get the others."

"That's **your** bag Booth."

"I know, I'm staying with you while you recover remember? How much damage did that bump on your head cause?" She smacked him on the arm playfully.

"My head is fine. It was just a little bump and a slight concussion."

"Yeah one that caused you to be unconscious for two days."

She gave in taking his smaller bag and marched off to the front door of her apartment, defeated, at least for the moment. As she dropped his bag inside the door, she looked around and appreciated how good it was to be home. Especially after being in the hospital for a few days.

And that was after working an undercover case in South Carolina that almost got her killed. She and Booth had been assigned to go undercover as a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in order to catch a serial killer nicknamed the Night Stalker named after the way his victims were abducted. All had not gone according to plan. It turned out that the killer was actually a high ranking South Carolina FBI agent whom had been under investigation by Internal Affairs. Neither Brennan nor booth knew anything about that when they had taken the case. She had wound up abducted and then nearly raped and killed before Booth had rescued her. _Just in time_ she thought to herself. Her protector had come through once again. If Booth hadn't been there, she would most likely be dead now. She shuddered at the memory.

Booth stood in the doorway with a few of Brennan's heavier suitcases in tow. He watched as she stood there motionless, her back to him. Then he saw her shudder. As he set the bags down, he saw her body stiffen up in fear.

He immediately went to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's okay" he whispered soothingly into her ear. "Just me."

She hated that she was still jumpy after what had happened. The doctors at the hospital had tried to tell her about post traumatic stress disorder and that there was possibility that she had it. She didn't believe them of course. That was psychology and she definitely did not buy into that. Temperance tried to dismiss the thought as Booth began to nuzzle her neck. He was a nice distraction from the heavier thoughts on her mind. She brought her hand up and ran it through his hair.

She still couldn't believe that her and Booth were a couple now. Temperance guessed that it was all the emotions running high on the case and their close proximity that had finally brought them together. Angela had always said it was bound to happen one day, Brennan just had never really believed her.

"Come on, admit it. Won't it be kinda fun to be roomies still?" She turned around in his arms, facing him. Then leaned in and gave him a slow, sensual kiss.

"I guess there could be some benefits to that" she said after breaking off the kiss. Booth smiled at her and kissed her again. They lingered there for a moment before he broke it off this time.

"Just promise me you won't try and cook." That earned him another smack on the arm from Brennan before he could back away.

"My cooking was not all that bad!"

"Bones, do I need to remind you of the cereal incident? Or what about the time that you almost burned the condo down?"

"That could have happened to anyone! You even said yourself that anyone can cook."

"I was wrong." She took one of the cushions from her couch that she was standing next to and threw it at him. He saw it coming this time and managed to avoid the wrath of Dr. Temperance Brennan.

"I'm going to finish getting the bags. You stay here and for once, listen to what the doctors and myself have to say." He yelled this to her as he began the trip back down to the SUV to get the rest of their belongings.

She gave in defeated again and sat down on her couch. It was definitely going to be interesting living with Booth.

_That's all for now! How was the first chapter? It's a little lighter and shorter than some of the next chapters will be as we get more into the story. But, I thought some fluff may be a good way to get things rolling and to catch up and introduce the story to any new readers. Please review and let me know what you thought. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome._

_Thanks!_

_GG_


	2. Chapter 2

_I was so happy to see such a positive response to the first chapter. I'm glad to see that everyone seems to like it so far. Sad to say, still don't own them even if I would like to._

_Author's Note – My original story, In the Dark No One Can Hear You Scream, was started before Two Bodies In the Lab and therefore in these stories Booth has never been to Brennan's apartment (at least to the best of my knowledge-let me know if I'm wrong). _

Chapter Two

The rest of the afternoon seemed to go pretty smoothly. Booth had managed to bring in all the luggage (most of it was Temperance's) and the two of them began to unpack. Temperance stood next to the bed that her suitcase was laying on emptying the contents of the largest one.

"Booth what the hell are you doing out in the living room? Does it really take you that long to pick up a bag and carry it in here?"

"No" he said stepping into the doorway. "I just didn't know where you wanted me to unpack at." His face began to turn a little red, something that never happened. She thought it was kind of cute that he was being shy. "I didn't know where exactly you wanted me to stay."

"Oh. Well, aren't you the one that told me the doctors are forcing me to have you as a houseguest?" She smirked at him knowing exactly what he was asking.

"Bones, I mean do you want me on the couch or in here with you?"

She thought she would tease him just a little. "It would be nice to have this big bed all to myself again-" She paused leaving the sentence hang open as she watched his expression. Seeing the look of disappointment creep into his eyes just a little she added "But, I guess it would be okay for you to stay in here."

"Good. You can protect me from the spiders!"

"I do not have spiders in my apartment Booth!"

The rest of the unpacking went without incident and soon they were finished. Brennan had cleared a drawer for him in her dresser and he was using that to store what little he had brought home with him. His suits and work attire were still back at his apartment and he figured he could deal with that issue when the time came for him to go back to work. Whenever that was. In the meantime, he was going to focus on her and explore this new side to their relationship.

The doctors had wanted Brennan to stay away from the lab and work for at least a week, maybe more depending on how she was healing. Her physical injuries wouldn't take as long to heal as the emotional ones would. They had wanted her to see a psychologist while in the hospital, but she would have none of it. She had told them that she would look into seeing one when she got home. But, Booth knew that she had only said that to appease them and that she had no plans to see one here either.

The day had passed much faster than either one could imagine. It was now getting to be late and they still hadn't had dinner. Booth suggested Wong Foo's and Brennan agreed. After all, it was one of their favorites that they had been without in South Carolina. Booth had no sooner picked up the phone to let Sid know that he would be picking up an order when she grabbed the phone away from him.

"I thought we could eat there."

"Bones, I don't think that's such a great idea. You were only released from the hospital a few hours ago. I'm just going to call Sid and tell him I'll be picking up our order."

"But I really feel like going out." She reached out and began to rub one of his arms suggestively. _And it doesn't hurt that everyone from the lab could be there and I can catch up on work a little bit_ she thought.

"Not going to work Bones. I know you better than you think. You think that the rest of the squints could be there. That's work! If you really feel you must, have them drop by here on a social visit. No talk of the lab or skeletons."

"But it wouldn't really be work, just talking with colleagues and if work happens to be brought up, then I'm sure it will be brief."

"It never is with you Bones. Can't you just sit back and enjoy the time off?" She glared at him and removed her hand from his arm and then crossed hers in front of her. Now it was his turn. He went around behind her and whispered into her ear "We could get all cozy on the couch and just enjoy each other's company. Would that really be so bad?"

The thought of spending the night with Booth on the couch wasn't a bad idea though. She remembered what had almost happened the last time they had a peaceful domestic evening together well and wished that it hadn't been interrupted. Maybe they could pick up where they had left off.

"Fine. You win this time. Next time you won't be as lucky."

"Great, I'll call Sid. You just sit and relax." He took the phone back from her and went into the other room to call Wong Foo's.

_While's he's gone, I can check my e-mail and maybe start the next chapter in the new book. He'll never know._

Brennan didn't get much done on her book while Booth was out picking up dinner. As soon as he had left, she practically bolted to her office to try and cram in as much work as she could without him there. She stared at the computer screen willing herself to write anything. It didn't have to be good, just something so that she could feel a little like her old self. Try as she might, she just couldn't focus. She couldn't remember a time when she was unable to concentrate. Lately her mind seemed to be all over the place. She didn't know if it was the aftereffects of the medication from when she was hospitalized or something else entirely. .

She didn't have time to ponder this for long, because before she knew it, Temperance heard the unmistakable sound of keys turning in the lock in her door. Booth was back with dinner already. She slammed the laptop closed, hoping he hadn't heard and emerged from her office to meet him in the kitchen. Booth was already digging around in the cabinets trying to find where she kept the plates. She watched in amusement as he tried door after door with no luck.

"Bones where the hell do you keep the plates around here?"

She went up the only door he hadn't tried yet and opened it revealing a small stack of dinnerware.

"Oh, thanks. Hey your collection of dinnerware is about the size of mine! I'll bet you don't host a lot of dinner parties." He chuckled at the thought of Brennan cooking for a roomful of guests.

"No, not typically" she said missing his joke. "Actually, I've never had one."

"Really? They're okay. Kinda lame sometimes, but with the right people and enough alcohol, they can border on fun. Maybe we could have one." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. They had only been a couple for a few days and he was already planning dinner parties. She would kill him.

But she didn't. The look of surprise wore off in just a few seconds as she pondered the idea. "I guess that wouldn't be so bad. I can invite people from the lab."

"Right, social basis-no work. It's a dinner party. No one will want to talk skeletons over dinner."

"I'm sure."

She picked up her plate and walked into the living room with Booth trailing behind her. They sat on the couch and began to eat. The two sat in silence for a few moments as Booth took in the rest of the apartment. This was the first chance he had to actually see her place. It was a lot like he had expected. A mix of contemporary and warm. Very tastefully decorated and he wondered if she had done the work herself or had a designer come in. His taste was actually very similar to hers and the thought crossed his mind that if they made this more of a permanent thing then his stuff would blend well with hers. That thought he kept to himself. He did notice a lack of one important fixture.

"Bones, where's the T.V.?"

"Oh, it broke a while ago. I never got another one."

"You don't have a T.V.?"

"No. even when I did have one, I rarely watched it."

"That explains a lot." He laughed.

The conversation throughout dinner shifted from the television back to the dinner party which was going to be held one night that week and eventually on to other more personal things. They talked about Parker and how Booth wished he got to see him more along with old school stories. Temperance told him wild Angela stories that made both of them laugh throughout the rest of the meal.

And when it was over, they went back into the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher together. Brennan began to feel the way she had back at the safe house. She was getting used to the domestic scene and having Booth there just felt so right, like it had always been this way.

As she got into bed that night, Temperance forced the thoughts of the nightmares that had plagued her since the abduction out of her mind. Booth's strong arms wrapped around her stomach from behind and he held her as she began to drift off into sleep. She felt blissfully happy in a way that she hadn't felt in a very long time and let herself relax. Sleep came quickly for once, but it would not last very long.

_That's all for now! Hope you all liked this chapter as much as the last one. Hit that little button at the bottom and let me know. Look for the dinner party in the next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the reviews! Sorry it's been a few days since the last update. Had some writer's block to overcome from the last chapter (which wasn't my best-sorry). Anyways, it's resolved in time for the dinner party. I've decided to break the dinner party into at least two chapters due to length. Enjoy! Still not mine. I keep asking, but no luck so far._

Chapter Three

_Two days later…_

"How's that table coming Bones?" shouted Special Agent Seeley Booth from inside his girlfriend, Dr. Temperance Brennan's, kitchen. After her last incident in the kitchen in South Carolina, she was no longer allowed to even attempt to cook.

"It's fine Booth" she said laying the last piece of silverware onto the beautifully made table. "Come see."

After rinsing his hands off in the sink, Booth grabbed a towel, drying his hands as he went, and walked into the adjoining room to admire her handiwork.

"Well, what do you think?" She looked up at him expectantly.

He was impressed, she had done a beautiful job. For as awful as she was in the kitchen, she more than made up for it in the presentation. He decided in that moment that she must have been the one to do the decorating of her apartment. The long dark mahogany dining table, never really used until now, was set with his and her dinnerware (which each set happened to compliment the other beautifully). Individually they wouldn't have had enough for everyone to have a plate, but together there were plenty to go around. Each setting also had a wine and water glass and the appropriate silverware. The last time Booth had seen that much silverware was (unfortunately) with Tessa when he had taken her to an upscale restaurant after another one of their fights right before they had broken up. Long taper candles also adorned the table, waiting to be lit. They would help set the perfect atmosphere for the evening that would hopefully keep Brennan's mind as far away from work as possible.

"You did a beautiful job. Everyone will be impressed. I know I am. But, I think it's missing something." She looked down at the table wondering what could possibly be missing as he went back into the kitchen and retrieved his contribution to the table (other than dinner). She flashed him a brilliant smile as he placed a vase containing a few brightly colored orchids into her hands. She set it in the middle of the table as he said "Absolutely stunning." And he didn't just mean the table.

He took in the sight of her. They had agreed to the dinner party being semi-formal. Temperance was dressed in a long black gown that dipped low in the front and as she bent over to light the candles, he caught a glimpse of cleavage. The bruises she had incurred as result of the kidnapping were starting to fade and didn't look near as scary as before. The worst wound, the one on the base of her skull requiring stitches that still had yet to be removed, was hidden by the soft reddish brown curls that cascaded over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes sparkled in a way that he hadn't seen often since the abduction in the soft candlelight.

Brennan blushed when she realized that he was staring at her. Even after everything that they had been through together, and there was no logical reason that she could think of, he still could look at her the way he did. She didn't feel as though she was looking her best these days, but his stare told her he thought differently.

He looked spectacular also. Booth was wearing a tailored black suit that complimented his strong muscular frame. He wore a blue dress shirt underneath and a coordinating tie. It was a little more upscale than the suits he traditionally wore to work and looked great on him.

"Booth, can you stop staring? If you keep looking at me like that throughout the evening everyone will know."

"I can't help myself. You look so beautiful I don't know how I will be able to keep my hands off of you during dinner." He flashed her one of his charm smiles.

She blushed again and went over to stand by him. She whispered into his ear as she rubbed his arm "Well you're going to have to try and behave yourself, because I'm still not ready to go public with our new situation." He tried not to look as hurt and disappointed as he felt that moment as he turned away to go back into the kitchen to check on their dinner.

As she watched him disappear into the adjoining room, she regretted her choice of words. Booth was so good at the wounded puppy dog expression without even having to try. It had been her decision not to inform her coworkers or his family of the change in their relationship, claiming that it was still too new. Knowing her history, she had wanted to see how things progressed before letting everyone else in. Part of the explanation also involved his son, Parker. She felt it best that before making the little boy aware of what was going on, she would need to be a more permanent fixture in Booth's life. As if she hadn't been all along. But, Booth seemed to buy into it and had agreed to keep their relationship between just them for now.

Back in the kitchen Booth busied himself with the last of the dinner preparations. He had decided to prepare shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta, one of his specialties. The rich aroma of the dish filled the air and was practically irresistible. Brennan leaned against one of the walls in the kitchen and watched him work. With his senses being as finely tuned as they were from his work in the FBI and as a sniper, he knew immediately that she was watching him. He didn't turn around since he was still feeling a little rejected and pretended not to notice her.

Deciding that maybe she had been a little rough on him, she snuck up behind him and watched over his shoulder. Booth still refused to acknowledge her presence. She placed a hand on his back and began to rub small circles there.

"That smells good."

"Thanks."

"Can I try a bite?"

"I guess" he said in a monotone voice. He grabbed a fork from one of the drawers in the kitchen and loaded a single shrimp onto it before passing it to her. She took the fork from him and ate the shrimp. It was incredible. Booth was a great cook. Lucky for her.

"That's really good Seeley." She called him by his first name knowing that it would get some kind of reaction from him.

"You called me Seeley. You never call me Seeley."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"About calling me Seeley?"

"Damn it Booth, no. About the other thing."

"If you don't want this Temperance, let me know." He was laying it out for her now and hoped that she wouldn't turn him away.

She leaned in and kissed him. He didn't respond at first and she deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Finally he gave in and opened his mouth and let her in, wrapping his arms around her waist.

A few moments passed before she leaned back and broke the kiss, searching his eyes for his reaction. "That isn't always going to work Bones. You can't just kiss me every time you mess up and expect everything to be okay."

"Believe me there are lots of things I can try to make you forgive me." She smiled at him suggestively and raised an eyebrow.

"That's so not fair."

"I know. That doesn't mean that I can't use it to my advantage." He finally released her and went back to finishing the last preparations on the meal.

"Just because I'm not ready now, doesn't mean that I never will be. Just give me time Booth. I do love you and I want this relationship to work."

"Me too. Okay, so we'll just act like nothing has changed between us and hope no one notices anything is different."

"Thank you."

And on that note, the doorbell rang. Brennan went to answer it while Booth stayed in the kitchen with the food. As she opened the door, she was nearly knocked over by her best friend, Angela Montenegro. She threw her arms around her and pushed Brennan back through the foyer with the force of the hug. Dr. Goodman, Zach Addy and Jack Hodgins followed her in and stood there watching Angela being Angela.

"Sweetie I'm so glad you're okay. You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine Angela, but you're hugging me so hard that I'm having a difficult time breathing.

"Sorry" she said as she let go of her friend. "Bren, you look hot! What does Booth think? He must be absolutely salivating!" At the sound of his name, Booth emerged from the kitchen. Angela saw him and went over and hugged the FBI agent as well. "Looking good Seeley! Nice suit, it definitely makes the most of your assets." She reached down and smacked him on his butt as she said the last part. Booth turned a shade of red that Brennan hadn't seen before and he looked at her for some kind of help from across the room. But all she could do was laugh along with the rest of the squints.

"I think that's my cue to get back in the kitchen and finish dinner. It will be ready in a few minutes." Booth retreated as fast as he could before Angela could cop another feel.

Dr. Goodman produced a chilled bottle of white wine and handed it over to Temperance saying that it should go well with the shrimp. She accepted it with thanks and scurried off to the kitchen to open it and serve. She found Booth in the kitchen spooning the scampi onto the plates.

"Sorry about Angela" she whispered trying to keep a respective distance from him.

"It's okay Bones, not your fault. But she better keep her hands to herself for the rest of the evening."

"Don't worry Booth I won't let anyone else touch your assets." Booth gave her a look and continued to prepare the plates.

It was definitely going to be an interesting evening. He hoped that they would be ready for it.

_That's all for now. More dinner party to come in the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. I'll try and have the next chapter posted a little faster (especially if I get a bunch of reviews). Thanks! _


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for all the reviews! Part Two of the dinner party begins now! Still bargaining with those who actually have the rights to Bones for them, but no luck yet. If anything changes, I'll let you know. In the meantime, not mine!_

Chapter Four

While Brennan was in the kitchen with Booth, the rest of the squints made themselves comfortable around the dining table. Hodgins was seated next to Angela (of course) who was next to Zack. On the other side of the table was Dr. Goodman and the last two seats were left for Booth and Brennan.

Temperance brought the open bottle of wine out and began to pour it into everyone's glasses. Booth carried in the steaming plates from the kitchen and set them in front of each guest. The inviting smell of the shrimp was very hard to resist but everyone managed to refrain from digging in until all were in their seats. Finally as Booth was just sitting down, Dr. Goodman felt the need to say something.

"Dr. Brennan we are so happy to have you back with us-"

"Yeah in one piece, thankfully. Bren, hon, we really need to talk about you running out and trying to catch the bad guys."

"Ange, I wasn't running out trying to catch the 'bad guys'. He caught me. Totally and completely not my fault."

"Still…"

"Can we discuss this later ladies?" interjected Dr. Goodman.

"Yes Dr. Goodman" they said together feeling all of a sudden like they were back in school and had gotten in trouble by the teacher.

"Like I was saying, it's good to have you back Dr. Brennan. The Jeffersonian just has not been the same since you have been gone."

"I know and I am planning on returning to work very soon."

"Not too soon though, right Bones?"

She shot him the look of death before saying through gritted teeth "As soon as the doctors release me-which will be very soon." She emphasized the _very soon_ part. She softened slightly when she said "I have an appointment with my doctor the beginning of next week to have the stitches removed and to be evaluated again. I should have a date for you by then Dr. Goodman."

"Excellent Dr. Brennan! But don't push yourself. Take your time. I want you to be completely well before you come back."

Under the table Booth placed his hand on Brennan's thigh and patted it reassuringly. Her face showed no expression on the outside that he could see, but as she turned her head ever so slightly when reaching for her wine glass she gave him a small almost unnoticeable wink. He noticed and gave her thigh a small squeeze before letting go and bringing his hand back to the table.

It was at that moment as she was holding her wine glass in her left hand that he noticed something missing. The platinum ring that she had worn while they were on assignment. Since they had first gone undercover she hadn't taken it off once, it was always there (even when she had been kidnapped and held hostage by that madman Pernout) and now it gone. He couldn't believe that after all this time she had taken it off. Booth's eyes widened in shock and he excused himself from the table claiming he needed to check on something in the kitchen as he escaped to it.

As he stood over the stove in the kitchen, he tried to figure out why something so small and trivial was bothering him. He didn't know why her not wearing the ring was such a big deal. They weren't married or engaged. Hell they hadn't even made it official to anyone else that they were dating. And the ring was bound to have to go back. There was no way the FBI could warrant giving away a platinum ring just because it now held sentimental value for him. And what about her? Did it hold the same meaning for her that it did for him? As much as tried to reason with himself, he couldn't help that sinking feeling he was having in the pit of his stomach.

Sadly, Angela noticed that something was wrong with Booth before Brennan did. Zach had happened to mention a new set of remains that were brought into the lab and the work that he was doing on them. Temperance's one track mind when it came to work took her out of her immediate surroundings at the mention of human remains. She had been so engrossed in the conversation that she only barely noticed that her boyfriend had left the table. Certainly not that something was bothering him.

Angela, who was always watching her favorite pair for any signs that their relationship was changing, had of course had her eyes on the two of them all night. She knew something was very different about their relationship but couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. They seemed like their old selves. Booth still watched his partner all the time with that same expression that Brennan was always oblivious to. They still argued.

She still had yet to have that very long and overdue conversation with her best friend about what had happened on the island. Things had changed, big time. And now Booth was living with her. Brennan claimed that it was the only way the doctors would release her from the hospital, but Angela thought differently. What if there was another reason for them to be living together? But what had caused him to get up and leave the table like that?

"Hey Bren" she said to her friend from across the table, interrupting the conversation on the bones. "Do you have to go the bathroom?"

"No Angela, I'm fine." She stared at her friend with an expression of confusion.

"Well, I do." She raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"Okay, you've been to my apartment plenty of times. I'm sure you know where it is." Brennan was still not sure where Angela was going with this.

"Yes, sweetie, but girls always go together. So can you come with me?"

"Fine" she said giving her friend another weird look as they both got up from the table and went down the hall to the large master bath off her bedroom. Dr. Goodman,Hodgins and Zach all just stared at each other form a few seconds at Angela's odd behavior before quickly changing the subject back to work. However, Angela was known for her weird behavior and they quickly dismissed the situation as that. Booth stayed in the kitchen, pretending to be busy.

Angela filed in first and had a seat on the edge of the large spa tub. Temperance followed in behind her and closed the door.

"Ange, you're acting really weird. What's going on?"

"I'm fine. What's going on with you and Booth?"

She blushed ever so slightly at the mention of Booth's name. "Do you really think now is the time to be having this conversation? Everyone is still out in the dining room."

"I think something happened on that island that's changed your relationship. The last conversation we had while you were down there, I told you that he loves you and I kinda got the impression that you felt the same way. Now he's living with you. And something happened just a few minutes ago at the table that made him get all upset. What's going on?"

Brennan sighed, knowing that Angela probably already knew and that she wouldn't be able to keep this a secret from her very much longer.

"We kissed." Angela squealed excitedly. "A lot. But, he is only here because the doctors wouldn't let me out of the damn hospital unless someone was staying with me when I got home."

"So, does this mean that you guys are like a couple?"

"We are seeing where this goes. Taking things slow. Which is why I didn't want to tell everyone about us yet. I've never been in a relationship like this before and you know how bad I am with relationships."

"Do you love him?"

She stalled, looking at the floor, the walls, the ceiling anything but her friend. "I do."

"And he loves you?"

"He says he does."

"So what just happened out there? That man is clearly upset over something."

"I don't know. Why would he be upset?"

"You know him better than I do sweetie. But if I were you, I would find out. Do not mess this up Brennan! He is so good for you. We will talk more later. But, now, we have to get back to the boys. They already complain about girls taking too long in the bathroom. We don't want to make it worse!"

"Promise me you won't say anything about Booth and I to anyone."

"I won't. I'm going to let you do that when you're ready."

Angela stood up and gave her best friend a hug before they went back out to join the others. Her instincts were right, as usual.

"Sorry" Angela said sitting next to Jack again. "Girl problems."

The guys all looked extremely uncomfortable at the mention of girl problems and quickly went back to the conversation they had been having. Brennan looked over into the kitchen and noticed that Booth was gone.

"Where did Booth go?"

Dr. Goodman answered. "He got a call from Deputy Director Cullen about an urgent case and he had to go."

"Why didn't he come get me?"

"Because, Dr. Brennan. You are not cleared to return to work yet. He apologized and said he would talk to you about it in the morning, as he would probably be late getting back."

Temperance looked back down at her plate and no longer felt hungry even though the food was delicious.

"Oh, I see."

Why would Booth just leave like that? Even if he couldn't take her with him, he could have at least told her in person instead of just leaving. Was Angela right? Was he upset over something? Whatever it was, it would have to wait until tomorrow when she could talk to Booth.

The squints finished their meal at a relaxed pace. It felt good to be home and see her friends again. Not to mention, getting to hear about what was going on at the lab. But, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that things were not quite right between herself and Booth and she wasn't even sure what had happened to cause it. By the time they had left a couple hours later, she was more confused than ever.

_That's it for this chapter. Sorry not as much fluff in this chapter. It had more of an angsty feel as will some of the chapters in this story. But I am a big fluff fan and there will be plenty of that too. Any suggestions on plot ideas are welcome and I'll see what I can incorporate of your ideas. I was so happy to see all the reviews for the last chapter and inspired me to get this new chapter posted sooner. I'll try and have the next one up quickly too, especially if I get a lot of reviews again. _

_Thanks!_

_GG_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks so much to everyone who is reviewing so far! All the reviews inspire the chapters to come at a faster pace!_

_Author's Note: First part of chapter takes place from Booth's perspective during the dinner party right before Booth leaves. Temperance and Angela are in the bathroom having their girl talk. After he leaves to go on assignment, the story goes back to the original timeline. Sorry for any confusion, but I thought it best to wrap up what actually happened to Booth._

Chapter Five

Booth wasn't quite sure what his next move should be. He stood in the kitchen contemplating what had just happened after he had excused himself from the table. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the cell phone stowed away in one of his pants pockets begin to vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket after the initial shock subsided and glanced at the caller ID. It was work. Deputy Director Cullen to be more specific.

"Booth" he said into the receiver after opening the phone to answer it.

"Agent Booth, I know you have only just gotten back from the last assignment, but we have a new case for you."

"Sir, I have only been home a few days. This last case…well, it was really challenging."

"I know that Booth, but you and that team of squints are the best for the job."

"Dr. Brennan hasn't been released back to work yet."

"I understand that. I'm sure the rest of her team is competent at what they do and if the case is still open when she returns to work, Dr. Brennan will of course be allowed in on it. But right now I need to have you meet a CSU at this address as soon as possible."

Booth, still a little lost as to where everything was in Brennan's kitchen, began to open drawers frantically searching for anything he could find to write down the information on. He succeeded in finding a pen and pad of paper from one of the drawers in the kitchen in a fairly short time and scribbled down the address his boss had given him. Then he flipped the phone closed and went to apologize to everyone in the next room that he was needed at a crime scene. He looked around the table and noticed that Brennan and Angela were missing. _Oh well, at least now she can't force me to bring her to the crime scene even though I'm sure I'll have my ass kicked when I get back. _

He explained to the remaining squints what Cullen had said and gathered his keys to leave. As he walked down the short flight of stairs from her apartment to the lobby, he thought a drive and getting a little fresh air may help his mind clear. Not to mention, throwing himself into a new case was always a good distraction from his personal life. _It's scary on some levels how similar we are at_ _times_ thought Booth as he climbed into the driver's side of the black SUV and peeled out of the parking lot.

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It was either very late at night or very early in the morning (depending on how you look at it) when Seeley Booth finally placed his key in the lock of apartment 2B. The key turned in the lock and he let himself in. The apartment was dark when he entered, but he didn't turn any lights on for fear that he would wake Temperance whom he was sure would be asleep by now. As quietly as he could, he placed his keys in the decorative bowl holding her keys on the mahogany console table that lined one of the walls in the foyer.

He stopped in the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. It had been a very long night. First the incident with the ring and then his visit to the crime scene. Booth felt like he had aged another couple of years in that night alone. As he sat on one of the stools next to the island, he tried to forget the horrible scene that he had left just a short while ago as the cool, refreshing water slid down his throat.

From what the CSU could gather the victim was a child. A fairly young one at that. Maybe even close in age to his own son, Parker. He never liked to go to the scene of murder, but it was always much harder when the victim was a child. Kids were so innocent. It just wasn't fair that this child's young life had been snuffed out before it really even had a chance to begin.

Booth and his team had worked into the very early hours of the morning securing the body and any evidence that went along with it. At least it had been night time. If it had been during the day, the hot June sun would have made the working conditions all that much more miserable. Booth and Brennan had arrived back home to a miserable heat wave that would not break. They had just finished the tenth straight day of weather that peaked around ninety-five degrees. The weather had accelerated decomposition of the body. But, the CSU had managed to get what they needed from the scene and the body was now en route back to the Jeffersonian where the squint squad could begin their investigation in the morning.

He set his now empty glass in the sink noticing that the dishwasher had yet to be unloaded after the dinner party. He felt badly about leaving Brennan with the mess to clean up, but there was no way Cullen would have agreed to wait until the party was over and cleaned up before heading to the crime scene. Not to mention that if he had waited, Brennan most surely would have not let him go alone.

He crept down the hall that led to the bedroom and quietly pushed the door open. She was in bed, asleep. He studied her from the doorway that he now stood in. She was curled up facing the window, turned away from his side of the bed. The reddish brown curls that he loved splayed out around her on the pillow. Booth tiptoed into the room and grabbed a clean pair of boxers and a white t-shirt from his drawer in the dresser and headed to the guest bathroom down the hall so that he wouldn't wake his sleeping girlfriend when he took a shower.

The warm water pounded on his back and calmed him even further. Seeley did feel a little better after getting out for a while and having something to focus on other than the new tentative relationship he had with his partner. It just all seemed so fragile at times. But, in the end, he knew that she was worth it and he loved her. He would do whatever he had to do to make this work between them. Even if it meant giving her a little space and letting her figure out what it was that she wanted from him and their relationship.

Fifteen minutes later, smelling much better than he had when he walked through the front door, Booth was finally able to go to bed. He pulled the pristine white duvet back and slid in between the soft Egyptian cotton sheets. He rolled over unto his side so that he faced Temperance. He wrapped his arm protectively around her stomach and breathed in the intoxicating smell of her hair. Her hand found his in her sleep. He leaned over to kiss her shoulder softly. It was at that moment while looking down at their entwined hands that he knew everything would be okay. He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he saw the familiar gleam of the ring catch his eye. He pulled her even closer and fell asleep as contented as can possibly be.

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The bright morning light shone through the sheer curtains covering the window in Temperance's bedroom. Her eyes fluttered open as she glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand next to her bed. It was just after 7:00 a.m. She still was not used to getting up and not having anywhere to go. Before her kidnapping, she would wake up, take a shower and get dressed before finally heading to the lab and working until late at night most days. Even though today was Saturday and quite a few people did not work on the weekends, she was not one of them. Actually, she usually worked at least six sometimes even seven days a week depending on what she had going on in the lab.

That had all changed since the last assignment. She wasn't even allowed to set foot in the lab until the doctors deemed her well enough and fit do deal with the stress of her job. She didn't know when she would be allowed back into the field with Booth either, but she assumed it would be later rather than sooner.

Thoughts of going back into the field with Booth brought her focus back to him and the events of last night. He hadn't made it home last night before she had gone to bed. God knows she tried to stay awake but the painkillers she still had to take occasionally for her head made her so tired. But, he was here now. Initially upon finding out that he had gone without her she'd been pissed off and fully ready to kick his ass. But Angela and her had talked more after the boys left and by the time they finished the conversation, she wasn't angry with him anymore.

She could feel his arm wrapped protectively around her and he had held her hand through the night. She let go of it and slowly turned around in his arms being careful not to wake him in the process and found herself face to face with her boyfriend. Brennan watched him as he slept, memorizing his handsome features and listening to his soft snore knowing that no matter how old she lived to be she would never forget moments like this one with him.

Initially she had planned on getting up and using the quiet time to work on her new book. But as she laid comfortably in Booth's arms, she surprised herself by deciding that work could wait for a while. She leaned over and kissed his forehead softly, smiling to herself when she saw the way his forehead crinkled a little when she touched him. Temperance found herself snuggling back into his warm body and allowed herself a little extra sleep. There would be other mornings for being a workaholic.

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Booth awoke slowly almost two and a half hours later. He ran his hand over her side of the bed immediately noticing absence. Booth rolled over burying his face in her soft feathery pillow and breathing in her scent. As he lay there, he contemplated what the day would bring. He hoped she wasn't too mad at him for abandoning her during their first dinner party because it was Saturday and he'd hoped to take her out to do something fun. But, it wouldn't be fun if she was pissed off at him.

The inviting scent of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air throughout the apartment and Booth decided that he had been lazy enough for the morning. He threw back the white duvet, climbing out of bed and strolled over to the window to see what the day was like so far. The morning sun streamed through the sheer curtains as he pulled them back to see a cloudless sky. Perfect. Seeley let the curtains fall back closed and headed towards the kitchen and the wonderful scent of freshly brewed coffee.

On his way he passed the door to Brennan's office. He could hear her typing away as fast as she could on the keyboard. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice that he was even there. So, he lingered in the doorway, watching her work. One of the things that he most loved and hated about her was that she was so dedicated to her work. Once she became involved in a project there was no way to distract her from it. Which made her very good at her job. It also made having any time for a life outside of work quite a challenge. He was damned and determined to make her stop and take a day to have some fun.

It took her a minute or so, but Temperance finally realized that she was no longer alone in the room. She looked up over the top of her computer screen and gave Booth a smile. He realized that she couldn't still be mad at him if she could smile at him like that. The smile that he gave her back would be enough to melt any woman into a puddle at his feet. But, Brennan wasn't just any woman.

"Good morning" was her simple greeting.

"Good morning yourself." An awkward silence filled the room. He had such high hopes for the day ahead and he was already nervous. If he didn't say something soon, he could blow the day before it even began.

"Coffee!"

"Yeah? She asked raising an eyebrow at his odd behavior. She had to wonder if he got hit over the head last night at work. That's all they needed another person wandering around the apartment with a concussion. "What about it?"

"It smells good."

"Thanks. It's the one thing I actually can make in the kitchen."

"That doesn't count Bones."

"It does for me."

"Well, I'm going to pour a cup for myself. Do you need a refill?"

"Sure, thanks." She smiled at him again and passed her cup over the monitor to him. A spark passed between them as their fingertips touched. Their eyes connected and neither moved away. They both held onto the mug and each other's gazes for about thirty seconds before Booth came out of the haze and pulled away.

"I'll be right back." He escaped the tension in the room and went into the kitchen to pour the coffee. As he reached for another mug, he suddenly felt like an awkward teenager all over again. He was going to ask Bones on an actual date. It shouldn't have been a big deal seeing as they had been partners for months, pretended to be married, made out quite a few times, slept in the same bed and were even living together. But this somehow was different from all of that.

He managed not to the spill the coffee on the way back to her office (which came as a complete surprise to him because his hands were shaking like crazy). As he reached to hand her the mug again, it became too much for him and he spilled a little on the paper with her notes on it. She set the mug down and grabbed a napkin to blot the paper.

"I'm so sorry Bones. I don't know what happened."

"It's okay Booth, it's not anything important."

He tried to help clean up and they were now both standing over Brennan's desk, faces just mere inches apart. It was now or never. "Bones will you go on a date with me?" he blurted out in a rush.

Her blue eyes looked up and locked onto his deep brown ones. She gazed at him with a look of shock on her face.

"What?"

_That's all there is to this chapter! A cliffhanger! What can I say? I love them. Not so much reading them, but I love writing them. So, what do you think Brennan's answer will be? Will Booth get his hopes dashed? Stay tuned to find out!_

_Second Author's Note: I hope everyone likes longer chapters. The deeper I get into this story, the more I seem to write. Let me know if they're too long, or not long enough. Now time to review and tell me what you think! Come on you know you want to hit that little purple button at the bottom of the page. _

_Thanks!_

_GG_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey! New chapter. Sorry this one took a little longer to post. I had a full schedule with work and training this weekend. Enjoy!_

Chapter Six

_He tried to help clean up and they were now both standing over Brennan's desk, faces just mere inches apart. It was now or never. "Bones will you go on a date with me?" he blurted out in a rush._

_Her blue eyes looked up and locked onto his deep brown ones. She gazed at him with a look of shock on her face._

"_What?" _

"You're going to make me say it again?"

She laughed.

"And now you're laughing at me. Look Bones, I'm sorry I asked. I'll let you get back to your work which you really shouldn't be doing anyway." He turned to leave. Her voice stopped him in the doorway.

"No, Booth, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that after all we've been through I can't believe you would be so nervous about asking me to do something. I mean, come on, we've been partners for a while now and you live with me. Don't you think we're past the first date jitters?"

"I guess. It's just that we've never gone on a date together."

"No, we haven't but we spend so much time together. How different could it be?"

"Is that a yes then?"

"Yes. Now, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, for starters, Parker has a tee ball game and I thought we could go to that. And then tonight, I thought we could go out for a nice dinner."

"Dinner sounds great but I don't know about the game. I'm not so good with kids. And won't Rebecca be there?"

"Don't worry Bones, Parker will love you. And yes, Rebecca will be there. But if we're going to be together, at some point you will need to interact with the both of them."

"I know. I just didn't realize that it would be so soon. Okay, I'll go with you to the game too." He walked back over to her and pulled her up so that she was standing face to face with him.

"Thanks Bones! You'll do fine. Now, go get dressed!"

He pulled her to him and kissed her reassuringly. When they parted, Booth darted back to the bedroom and grabbed his clothes out of the dresser and went to the guest bathroom to change. Brennan saved the work she had done that morning before going to get dressed herself.

Temperance was kicking herself for analyzing the situation too intently. But, then again, that was how she handled most things in her life. As she stood in the large shower, she contemplated what today would mean. The powerful jets blasted hot water onto her back and she tried to relax. A dinner date with Booth was one thing. She had been perfectly fine with a romantic dinner maybe even being followed by something more. But going to Parker's game? That was something else entirely.

It's not that she didn't like Parker. But she was not good with kids. She never had really been around any since she was one and never knew how to interact with them. Which was part of the reason she had chosen not to have children. But, Parker played a big role in Booth's life. If she wanted him to be in hers, she would need to learn how to handle one four year old boy.

Rebecca was another matter. From the little she about Booth's relationship with Parker's mom, she could tell it was fragile. Rebecca wouldn't allow Booth hardly any time to spend with his son, even though she herself found him to be an excellent father. Brennan didn't know if it had to do with his past or his current job, but whatever it was, she was a challenge. She didn't quite know how Rebecca would act to Booth bringing a woman he was living with to the game. Probably not good. Little butterflies flew around her stomach as she turned the water off. She grabbed a fluffy bath towel from the heated rack, drying herself off and finally wrapping it around her body. Temperance dried a little circle of the mirror off with a hand towel and looked at her own reflection.

"You can do this. You just have to!" The person staring back at her in the mirror looked confidant, but the butterflies flying around in her stomach said otherwise.

Two hours later, they had arrived. Temperance opened the passenger side door of the black SUV and took in the scene before her. Parker and Rebecca lived in one of the suburbs that bordered the city. The game that he was in today took place at one of the local elementary schools. The parking lot was packed full of minivans and SUV's, not unlike Booth's. But she guessed that most of them didn't carry what Booth normally had stowed in back.

Booth came around behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back reassuringly, leading her forward at the same time. She looked up at him and forced a weak smile.

"Relax" he whispered soothingly in her ear. The warmth of his breath on her ear made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "You're doing fine so far."

It was a little walk from the parking lot to the baseball diamond that the game was actually being held at. The bright sun beat down on the couple. That heat wave had yet to break. Already the day was scorching. It was only early afternoon and the temperature was in the low nineties. At least the humidity wasn't as bad today as it had been yesterday. As they continued the walk, Booth dropped the hand that had been resting on Temperance's back and slipped it into hers.

As the neared the game, Booth began to search for his son. The game was just getting ready to start and Parker's team was on the field. Just then, Booth saw him and raised his free hand in a greeting. Parker saw him and began to jump up and down, waving enthusiastically to his father. He was in the outfield, so Booth wouldn't be able to talk to him until it was his team's turn to bat. He led Temperance up the bleachers and took a seat a few rows up. They began to watch the game.

The first inning passed quickly with Booth telling Brennan about Parker's team. Soon the players switched so that it was Parker's team on the bench. Booth excused himself and went down to where his son was sitting. She watched as Booth scooped him up in his arms and gave him a big hug before spinning him around. Parker clutched at him and squealed. She found herself smiling as she watched father and son interact. He put Parker down when he noticed Rebecca walking over to him.

Parker's turn came to bat and Rebecca leaned in a little towards her boyfriend. She reached out and touched his arm. Temperance felt a pang of jealousy as she watched the two of them together. Parker managed to hit the ball and everyone began to cheer as the little boy ran two bases. They continued their conversation until Parker rejoined them after scoring a run for his team and then Booth shifted his attention back to his son. The next child struck out and Parker was pulled back onto the field.

Booth left Rebecca and walked back up to the bleachers where his girlfriend was waiting for him. Rebecca turned and watched him walk away from her and back to the woman he had come with. She had a scowl on her face that she aimed at Brennan. She of course saw it, but chose to ignore the rude look from the other woman.

"Parker did great Booth! He's the only kid to score a run so far."

"Yep, he's a chip off the old block!"

"You were into sports?" she asked.

"Of course. I played soccer, hockey, baseball and football."

"You must have been busy in school."

"Yeah, I sure was. What about you? Did you play any sports?"

"Not really. I was usually studying. I did take ballet for a couple of years when I was in elementary. It wasn't until college that I started the martial arts training"

"Why am I not surprised? I bet you were real cute in the tutu!" She smacked him playfully on the arm.

"How's Parker?"

"He's excited about the game. Happy that I'm here. I can't always make every game because of work, so he's always thrilled when I can come."

"How's Rebecca?" She tried not to let the distaste creep into her voice.

"She just broke up with her latest boyfriend. I really don't like the way she dates so often with Parker being as young as he is. He gets to know them and they disappear out of his life. And yet, I never get to see him. Her boyfriends spend more time with him than I do. But at least she didn't have her talons out today. We actually had a civilized conversation."

"That's good, Booth. Maybe if you can have a better relationship with her than you'll get to see your son more."

"I would like if we could at least be civil to one another. For Parker's sake."

"Do you ever think about getting back together with her? For Parker I mean."

"No, I don't want to go down that road again. I just want to be able to see my son more often."

Just then the game ended. Booth and Brennan made their way down the bleachers as Parker ran over to them. Booth picked him up again.

"Parker, do you remember Dr. Brennan from Sid's at Christmas?"

"The bone lady?" Temperance fought back the urge to laugh. Like father like son.

"You can call me Tempe."

"Okay Tempe." When he saw his mom, he wiggled to get down and Booth set him on the ground next to Rebecca.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Rebecca." She extended her hand in a gesture that should have been friendly, but coming from her was anything but.

"Temperance." She reached out and took the other woman's hand.

"Seeley?" asked his ex-girlfriend. "Can you bring Parker home? I got a call right as the game ended that I'm needed at work. I shouldn't be long?"

"That's fine. We'll get lunch and I call when we're done."

"Great! I'll see you later then." She squeezed his arm before walking away.

"Well, Bub, what do you want for lunch?"

Parker wanted to eat there. There was a small concession stand near the field. Booth ordered all kinds of kid-friendly food. Hot dogs (plain for Parker and Temperance and a chili dog for himself), popcorn, soda along with candy and ice cream. Rebecca would kill him for letting Parker eat like that, but it would be worth it. Brennan muttered some comment about Booth getting her fat to which he laughed and told her she was crazy. Then they all settled back down on the bleachers to eat.

Lunch went better than she could have imagined. Parker asked her all kinds of questions about her job and the museum itself, interrogating her much like his father. He seemed to be really interested. She found herself relaxing as the time passed and actually managed to enjoy herself. It was hard not to, Parker had a great laugh that he used frequently and all his father's charm. That same smile Booth had that made her agree to whatever it was that he was asking, Parker had inherited. By the time lunch was over, Parker had been promised a tour of the museum as soon as she was able to return to work.

Rebecca was home by the time Booth called and they were able to drop him back off at his mother's house, but not before a big hug from Parker to Brennan. As he pulled back and walked up the steps, she was surprised to find that she would actually miss his company. She had had a good time that afternoon. Booth placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her back to the SUV and once again whispered in her ear.

"I told you he would love you."

_More date to come in the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed the fluff. I had to break this one down into separate chapters again, due to length. Sorry if Rebecca seems OOC. There is a reason behind that. I'm just not ready to reveal it yet. Please review and let me know what you thought. _

_On a more serious note, I have really appreciated all the reviews you have left me so far. But, I got one really mean anonymous review that I have since deleted. Constructive criticism is always appreciated and welcomed, but this was not constructive criticism. It was just mean. And if the person is still reading, it's spelled **appallingly** not **apaulingly**. Use spell check if you're going to slam someone's grammar. Sorry for the rant. I feel better now! I hope I haven't discouraged anyone from reviewing-I do love hearing what you guys think! _

_Thanks!_

_GG _


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for all the reviews! They're almost at 100 and I would love if this chapter were to push it well over and above that. Enjoy the latest update! _

_See if anyone can spot the Pretty Woman reference. It's pretty easy to find. And then tell me in a review! Booths' all around (or whoever you would prefer) for those that do! Sad to say, still don't own Bones. _

_Special thanks to imloopy for helping me find a way around the document manager issues! You rock! _

_Author's Note: Flashback scene in the beginning is in italics. _

Chapter Seven 

After dropping Parker back at his mom's place, Booth drove back to Brennan's apartment so that they could change for dinner. He wouldn't tell her where it was that they were going to. He just told her to wear something nice and he would do the same.

Brennan stepped into her spacious walk in closet and tried to decide on an outfit. She scanned the long rack of clothes before noticing a garment bag hanging on the back of the door. As she unzipped the bag, it came back to her what was inside.

Approximately One Month Ago 

_"Oh sweetie! That is just perfect!" Angela was squealing excitedly as Brennan stepped out of the dressing room. _

_"I don't know Ange. It's a little expensive. Plus I could never wear it to the lab." _

_"Who cares? It fits you like a glove. You have to get it." _

_"I don't know what that means," she sighed standing in front of the three mirrors at the front of the dressing room. "Besides, there aren't any formal events scheduled for the Jeffersonian until late in the summer." _

_"What about dates?" _

_"Because I go on so many of those" Brennan said sarcastically. _

_"You could." _

_She had to admit the dress looked great. The kelly green gown hung to just below her knees and hugged her curves in all the right places. The v-neckline would plunge low, but not low enough to be trashy and she loved the roushing down the front. She sighed in defeat, knowing Angela was right. _

_"Fine. I'll take the dress. Can we go now please?" _

_"Bren that dress is killer. You're definitely making the right decision." _

_"That's highly unlikely Angela. Articles of clothing don't typically murder anyone." _

_Angela sighed at her clueless best friend. But at least she was getting the dress and hopefully Booth would get to see her in it one day. _

That day had finally arrived. After lifting it out of the bag, she slipped the dress on and stepped back to admire her reflection. It still looked good. She added her mother's earrings, a signature chunky necklace and strappy sandals. The ring was also present. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders. She was ready.

Booth's nervousness was back. He smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle on his pants and looked at his watch while he was waiting for her. It's not like they hadn't been out to dinner many times before. But this just seemed vastly different from all those other times. He actually felt more nervous tonight than he had all day. The hard part should have been this morning.

He knew how she felt about children, but he knew that Parker was not going to just disappear because she didn't always know how to interact with kids. Everything had gone very smoothly though. When she finally relaxed, Brennan and Parker hit it off. He glanced down once again at his watch. If they didn't leave soon, they would miss the reservations. He was just getting ready to tell her so when she came around the corner.

The look on his face told her everything she needed to know. As Booth stood there speechless, she finally understood what Angela had told her in the dressing room. She looked down nervously and adjusted the dress ever so slightly.

"Are you ready?"

It took him a moment to realize that she had just spoken. He had been too busy admiring the way the dress clung to every curve. She blushed.

"Booth?"

He cleared his throat and looked back into his partner's face, all traces of nervousness vanishing. He came alongside her and offered his arm. She accepted, much to his surprise and they left the apartment. As they walked down to the steps to the parking lot, Booth whispered into her ear "You look so beautiful. I love you so much."

She looked right at him and replied "I love you too."

When they came to the car, Booth opened the door for her and she climbed in. As soon as he was settled as well and both doors were shut, she looked over at him.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." A few seconds of silence clicked by.

"If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight." He looked over at her and smiled as he reached down and laid a hand on her knee. She smiled back at him.

"Thank you."

Booth had taken her to a small, romantic Italian restaurant called La Bella Vita (the beautiful life). Brennan had never heard of it before but Booth had. The owner was a friend of the family. Back in high school, Booth had even worked there part time as a busboy.

As they stepped through the door, the owner saw Booth and his date.

"Seeley!" the old man called excitedly from his place near the bar.

"Giovanni!" The old man hurried over to them and embraced Booth in a warm hug. Then he turned to Temperance and did the same. She stood there, slightly uncomfortable for a moment. But then relaxed and hugged him as well.

"Gio, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan." He picked her hand up, bringing it to his lips and placed a small kiss on it. "Bones, meet Giovanni Bernito. He owns this fine establishment."

"Bones?" asked the old man wondering about Seeley's name for her.

"I work with skeletal human remains. I guess that's where it comes from. You can call me Tempe."

" Tempe it is then."

"Nice to meet you" she said politely.

"The pleasure is all mine. Come! Your table is ready."

They followed Gio through the restaurant to a table in the back of the restaurant reserved for them. Brennan took in the surroundings of the restaurant appreciatively. The restaurant itself was not very big, but seemed to do well for itself. All the tables were full and the staff was busy keeping up with them. All in all there were only about ten tables. Very intimate. The walls were exposed brick. Simple white tablecloths covered the tables and each had a candle centerpiece. The lighting was low and romantic. Reaching their destination, Booth pulled out the chair for her and Temperance sat down. Gio winked at Booth over her head. He smiled back.

Then they were left alone with the menus trying to decide what to order. Booth knew the menu backwards and forwards. Even though it had been years since he had worked there, Booth was still a regular customer. He wondered why he'd never brought her here before. A little voice nagged in the back of his mind that he had never bothered to ask her on a date before. Booth chose the lasagna and Brennan the chicken parmesan.

The rest of the meal passed easily. Gio played waiter to the couple and made sure they had everything they would need. The wine he had suggested went perfectly with the food and was offered to them on the house. Brennan relaxed as the wine began to take effect. As the night progressed, she even let him hold her hand across the table. She tried not gag when she realized how terribly cliché they must look. But, as she got more and more used to the idea of them as a couple she realized that the romantic gestures weren't all that bad. She could get used to this. Since there wasn't anyone from the Jeffersonian or the FBI there, they could act like a regular couple without blowing their secret.

Talk over dinner didn't once even approach the subject of work (which was a miracle in and of itself). When Gio would stop by, he would happen to think of a new Booth story and fill Temperance in. Most were funny stories about him spilling something on a customer or tripping over his own two feet (Booth was not the most coordinated teenager), but a few were of Booth's family and how they knew one another. That night, she learned more about Booth than she had in the whole time that they had known each other.

By the time Booth looked at his watch, it was after 11:00p.m. He still had one more surprise for Brennan. But if he wasn't able to drag her away from Giovanni's charms, they would miss it. Booth tried to settle with the owner, but he would have none of it claiming that his money was no good here. They promised to return soon.

On the way out, Gio hugged the both of them warmly. This time, Brennan was comfortable with the old man and let him hug her without hesitation. When it was Booth's turn, he whispered something into his ear that she couldn't hear. Booth chuckled and looked quickly over at his date. Giovanni gave him a knowing smile and patted him on the back as they went to leave.

Brennan watched the exchange between the men and wondered what was said. Was it about her? Maybe she would ask him later. They left the restaurant with her once again on Booth's arm and were off to his next destination.

_Sorry for the shorter chapter. I was planning on having the rest of the date in this chapter but thought that this may be a good stopping point. _

_I am contemplating making the next chapter M rated or a very strong T, but I have never written a love scene before. However, I think that they are at the point in their relationship to finally take the next step. If anyone would be interested in betaing, either review and let me know or PM me. I've read some very well written ones on this site and hope I can do even half as well. _

_Oh, and, Brennan's dress is real! It's a BCBG Max Azria courtesy of In Style magazine's website. It can be found there or in the April 2006 issue. Have to give credit where it's do. I had a fun time browsing their website and picking the perfect dress for their date. _

_The restaurant is not real. I've never been to D.C. and couldn't find a whole lot of info out there to use real places. I hope my translation is correct on the Italian. I looked it up online and that's what I found. _

_Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and let me know what you think I should do about the next. If I decide to write it as an M, the update may take a little longer to ensure quality. _

_Thanks! _

_GG _


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry for the delay in posting this. I had a harder time writing it than I thought I would. Anyway, I've decided to write two versions of this chapter (and any others that I feel could be M rated). The one I'm posting here is a T. A strong T (you were warned). Anyone interested in reading the M version, please PM with your e-mail address and I'll send it to you. Just make sure not to use symbols in it because they don't transfer properly (ex-type at yahoo dot com instead of again to everyone who has reviewed so far, please continue! And a special thanks to jaed621 who betaed this chapter along with it's M version. You were such a big help!_

_Happy 4th for all those celebrating this long weekend. Hope it's going well for everyone. Enjoy the "fireworks" in this chapter!_

_Author's Note - Once again I have never been to Washington D.C. and where Booth takes Brennan exists only in my head and in this story. It's based off a real place in my home city though. I did fluff it up just a little to make it more romantic. _

Chapter Eight "T" Version

"So this is the big surprise?"

Temperance looked around and tried to see what was so special about where Booth had brought her. So far she was not impressed. It was kind of hard to see everything because it was almost midnight and very dark where they were. The lighted pathway they had taken led to an opening in the middle of the park. Three other pathways all converged there as well. The center contained a beautiful array of different greenery and flowers. They surrounded a large clock that stood tall against the sky. Lights were aimed up to show the face of the clock. Off to the side was a place to sit that looked like a stone stairway. All in all it was pretty, probably prettier in the day light, but not quite what she had been expecting.

Booth watched her taking in the surroundings. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she analyzed the situation. By now, she had let go of his hand and was wandering around the open area.

"Don't you like it?"

"It's very nice, but I don't see what the big rush was to come here late at night. Especially since I can't really see anything." She stepped closer to the vegetation surrounding the clock tower and examined one of the lilies.

Just then the clock hand turned to midnight and the place began to spring into action. Light sprang up from the ground illuminating the floral display. What she had thought was just seating began to light up. Small lights illuminated the seats from underneath. Water poured through the open expanse in the middle down the slope as more lights appeared to showcase it. Booth knew exactly what would happen at midnight and grabbed his partner's hand and pulled her a few steps away from the main exhibit. Just in time. Large bursts of water shot up from what could now be seen as drains running alongside the flowers. She gasped in surprise, gripping his hand tighter as Booth watched her bright blue eyes widen.

Booth stepped behind her and wrapped his muscular arms around her small waist and pulled her close against him. She placed her arms across his and leaned into him. Neither said anything at all just taking in everything around them. The fountain was programmed to move in different patterns and speeds. The water seemed to shimmer as the light reflected off of it.

"It's beautiful Booth. How did you find this place?" He removed himself from around her waist and led her by the hand over to the other fountain. As they sat down she wrapped her arm around his and listened.

"When I found out that Rebecca was pregnant, I didn't handle the news very well. I remember being angry at first, especially when she said that she wouldn't marry me. I had gone for a long run to try and relax and wound up at this park, right around midnight. I stopped to catch my breath and accidentally got too close to the flowers and got caught by the water. I guess you could say the cold water brought a moment of clarity with it. After initially being pissed off at getting wet, I looked around and realized what a beautiful peaceful place this was. I sat over there on that fountain and watched it the whole time. I thought about how a baby would change things in my life and found out that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Now, whenever I need clarity I come here."

The last part of his speech made her uncomfortable. She let go of his arm and sat up straight, leaning away from him.

"You brought me here because you need clarity?"

He gently lifted her chin with his fingers so that her bright blue eyes were looking into his warm brown ones. He saw the doubt in her eyes and knew he had to explain.

"I love you Temperance. I have never needed clarity on how I felt about you."

"Not even when we're arguing?"

"Not even then. Actually it's kind of a turn on for me."

"It would be" she said sarcastically.

"Admit it, when we're fighting, don't you get that rush?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But I like being here like this with you too."

"I'm glad."

He leaned in and captured her lips with a kiss. Slow and soft at first, she then felt his tongue probe her lips and she allowed him in. Booth's hands moved to her waist and once again drew her closer. Her hands went up around his neck and began lightly playing with his hair. He shuddered just a little and growled playfully in the back of his throat. _Two could play at this game_ he thought to himself as he gently lifted her up and settled her on his lap. He began to run his fingers up and down over her ribcage. She shivered at the feather light teasing torture as goose bumps appeared on her arms. She sensed that he was very aroused even before he had brought her onto his lap and found herself grinding lightly onto him as he continued to stroke her sides, tickling her in all the right places.

Booth released her lips bringing his down to the soft curve of her neck, he began to gently kiss her there. She sighed in ecstasy as he found a particularly sensitive spot and turned her head up to allow further access. It was then that she chose to open her eyes. It hit her like a ton of bricks when she remembered that they were in a public place, not the privacy of her bedroom. She gasped out loud and pushed Booth away and jumped off of his lap. She couldn't believe it. She had almost had sex in the middle of a park where anyone could walk up at any time. If she hadn't opened her eyes then, it could actually have happened. She blushed violently at the thought.

"What's wrong Bones?" he asked still out of breath from their recent activities. He looked at her with worry in his eyes. _Had he hurt her? Had she remembered almost being raped?_ He mentally kicked himself over and over again.

"Booth we almost just had sex in the park!"

"Bones, it's after midnight. There's no one here." He wanted to kiss her again but forced himself to hold back.

"But there could be. Anyone could just walk up."

"Temperance Brennan, are you being shy?" Now he was teasing her again.

"No! I just don't want to be arrested for public indecency."

"Sure, whatever you say." He winked at her.

If they stayed here much longer in the moonlight, he wasn't sure he would be able to control himself. So, Booth stood up and began to walk back to the SUV. Brennan sighed, frustrated with herself and her inhibitions. She followed a short distance behind him, unsure of herself. The car ride back to her apartment was filled with silence, both a little embarrassed at what had almost happened back there. It wasn't until they were back in her apartment with the door safely closed that either one spoke.

"It's not that I didn't want to back there Booth."

"It's okay Bones. We can take things slow."

"I don't want to take things slow" she stammered a little and chewed on her bottom lip. "I just don't want to remember our first time like that. That place was beautiful and very romantic. But, what if we had been caught?"

"It was never my intention to have sex with you in the park Temperance. I think we both just got caught up in the heat of the moment." They stared at one another in silence once again as the tension rebuilt in the room.

"Okay. I'm glad we got that resolved" she said awkwardly. Then, all the boundaries between them gave way. They leapt at one another, compelled by their desire and no longer able to hold back.

The kiss was passionate. All the tension that had been building ever since they first began to work together poured into that searing kiss. Bare skin met bare skin as all items of clothing were removed and haphazardly tossed about the room. There would be time for straightening up later, but for now, all that mattered was being as close as possible.

Booth whispered softly into her ear.

"Shall I carry you to the bedroom?"

"No, I want you right here."

"You're sure?"

"Yes"

Brennan's arms went back around Booth's neck as he easily lifted her off the floor and pressed her to the wall. For once, there weren't any interruptions and finally were able to have the experience both had waited so long for.

After, he lay back against the wall with Brennan curled contentedly up at his side, her head nestled into the crook of his arm and a hand splayed out over his chest. He pulled her closer, wrapping his strong arms around her and kissed the top of her forehead. They lay there each listening to the other's breathing and thinking about how this would forever change things between them.

Their partnership would never be the same again, that much was true, whether or not that was a good thing had yet to be decided. But for now, they held each other and just savored the moment they both had waited a very long time for.

_Thanks for reading! Now would be the time to tell me what you thought. Please review!_

_Updates may be coming a little slower since I start back to work full time on Wednesday. I'm also keeping my part time job along with on ice training four days a week. But, I'll do my best to update as quickly as I can._

_Thanks again!_

_GG_


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Let's just put it this way, July will not go down in history as one of the best months in my life. I was in a semi-serious car accident near the beginning of the month. Then terrible storms ripped through my city and knocked out my power (and Internet access) for 5 days. Then I found out I need surgery on both my knees sometime this fall due to the accident and that will keep me off the ice for a few weeks-just as the season will be starting. All along with now working a full time job, a part time job, continued training and chasing after a two year old. Whew! It makes me tired just writing it all down!_

_Thanks for all your wonderful and supportive reviews for the last chapter!. And thanks for the requests for the M version. I may have more M rated scenes later and I'll send them again to anyone who requested the last one._

_Once again, I don't own them._

Chapter Nine

She had woken up screaming. It wasn't the first time, not by a long shot, and it wouldn't be the last. The nightmares had begun to plague her nights as she had eased off the pain medication. Now that she was off them entirely, she saw the images every time she'd close her eyes in a vain attempt to rest.

It was always some variation of the same. Pernout was always there. She couldn't always see his face, but she knew it was him. Brennan somehow managed to wake up right before he could kill her every time. Drenched in sweat, she would wake suddenly. Some nights Booth would be unable to grab her in time and she would wind up on the floor. But, tonight (and most other nights) he was right there to hold and comfort her. He would wrap his strong arms around her and attempt to soothe her pain and fears. Some nights she would cry, but most nights she didn't. Eventually she would fall asleep again at least for a couple hours before having to get up and go to work.

His concern for Temperance was growing. It had now gotten to the point that Booth was having a hard time sleeping. That had never been a problem for him before. He wasn't having the same kind of nightmares she had. Most of the time he could barely even remember his dreams. No, Booth couldn't sleep because she couldn't sleep. He found himself watching her as she drifted off after making love to him. She would fall asleep peacefully in his arms, only to wake up a short time later when the dreams would make their reappearance. She would awaken with such force that one night she had even accidentally punched him in the nose.

The weeks that followed their romantic evening had passed by in a blur. Temperance had finally been released back to work and she was throwing herself into it one hundred percent. Her stitches had been removed on her visit to the doctor a few short days after her date with Booth. She was thrilled to be rid of them since the itching they caused was driving her insane. She was ecstatic when the doctor told her it was okay to return to work. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Booth, it was good to be able to get back to her normal life.

Their living situation hadn't changed. Temperance had thought that Booth would probably move back to his own apartment once she had been medically cleared, but he had yet to leave. Even stranger, she found that she actually liked having him there to come home to at night. Booth little bit by little but had found his way into her apartment. His clothes now occupied almost a third of her spacious walk in closet. Pictures of Parker sat amongst her own, his CD's were now incorporated into her collection (which was very impressive now) and after a lot of encouragement from Booth she had given in and bought a new TV and even a DVD player.

At first, she had been allowed to return to the lab only. It had been very strange to going back to just doing lab work. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a little bored. Not that she found her job boring by any means, it was just that she didn't realize how much she had begun to enjoy fieldwork. And her partner.

For now, they were forced to spend most days apart. Every now and then Booth would drop by the Jeffersonian with a file to sign or some other small errand. And he called her once a day at work to make sure that she was still doing okay and hadn't had any kind of a relapse. Brennan kept trying to explain to him that the possibilities of her having any kind of relapse were nearly impossible, but Booth being as protective of her as he was, wouldn't listen. She could kick herself in the head for thinking it, but she actually liked having him worry about her. Not that she would ever tell him or anyone else that.

But that was the extent of their partnership, at least where work was concerned. Home was another story. Most nights they would barely make it through the door of her apartment before tearing each others' clothes off. They would spend the rest of the evening making hot love to each other before snagging a few hours of sleep and getting up the next day to do it all over again.

Today had been her first day back into the field. Dr. Goodman had called her into his office to let her know that the FBI would once again need her services. Enough time had passed that physically she had healed and it was only a matter of waiting for a new case to come up. That time had now come.

As soon as he heard what was going to happen, Booth had dropped everything and rushed to the Jeffersonian. He had tried to argue with her that she should wait a little longer, still claiming to be worried about her injuries. But truthfully, he still felt guilty about what had happened in South Carolina. She could have died. He hadn't been there to protect her. Even though she had come out of the situation okay, what if the next time she didn't?

As lousy as her people skills were, she was able to read him better than most could. Just looking into his dark brown eyes she could see his pain and suffering and knew the real reason he didn't want her in the field. Trying to make light of the situation, Brennan commented that if he gave her a gun, he wouldn't have to worry. Booth threw his hands up in the air and sighed in frustration as she hurried past him out the door to the waiting SUV.

It had been a relatively short drive to the crime scene, even with the traffic. Booth had filled her in on the case as she read over the case file. Things had seemed fine and normal in the car, but once she saw the actual crime scene, she knew she was in trouble. Pushing down the feelings of nausea in her stomach, she snapped on a pair of latex gloves and began to examine the remains. Booth hovered protectively over her as she relayed her findings into the voice recorder that always accompanied her on the job.

The remains had been located in a garbage bag pulled from a condemned building that was being torn down. Upon seeing the bones protruding from a pile of old boards, the team had stopped and called in their findings. The victim had been female, approximately 18-25 years old. The bones had been there for quite a while as the flesh had disappeared from them long ago. She could make out long deep marks where a knife had been stabbed into the victim and dragged through the flesh and bone. There was evidence of trauma to the pelvic region that would have been caused by violent rape.

The first few minutes of the preliminary exam had been normal. But as she uncovered more of the unthinkable horrors that had been done to this woman, she broke out in a cold sweat. She could feel her chest constrict and her breathing began to come in quick, short breaths. When she paused mid-sentence, Booth had taken a hold of her arm, gently bringing her up to eye level with him. He searched her clear blue eyes for answers, but found none. It was like she had left her own body. Booth squeezed her arm lightly and called her name out, but got no reply. It wasn't until he had placed both hands on her face and called her by her first name that she even registered that he was there. Her eyes came back into focus as tears welled up in the corners. But, she would not let them fall. Not here. Not at work. She had to be strong for the victim.

By that time, Zach and the van had arrived to take the body back to the Jeffersonian. She had let him finish up and allowed Booth to lead her back to the SUV. They had gone straight back to her apartment. Booth wouldn't let Brennan anywhere near the lab for the rest of the day after what had happened in the field. After dinner, she seemed a lot more like her old self and Booth had let himself relax just a little bit. He held her tightly after they had gone to bed later that night. She was always so relaxed after they made love that she drifted peacefully off to sleep. But, as was part of the routine, she awoke screaming from another nightmare not long after.

Tonight had been the worst that he had seen so far. She had been almost inconsolable. So very unlike the Temperance that he knew and loved. It was then that he realized that he was in over his head and that she was not going to come back from this without some help.

_That's all for now! Thanks for continuing to stick with this story even though it has been so long in between updates. I'll try and be a bit more prompt on the next update._

_This was a transition chapter into the heavier issues in the story. I knew what I wanted to happen, I just wasn't quite sure how to get there. I think I might know now. Bear with me as there is definitely angst ahead. _

_Please review and let me know what you thought!_

_Thanks again!_

_GG _


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for all the reviews of the previous chapter (and for not throwing things at me since it had been so long since my last update). So, lots of reviews seem to bring about faster chapters (I know probably still not fast enough, but there are only so many hours in the day). You do your part and I'll try to do mine. Standard disclaimer also still applies, they're not mine. I can say that I own one of the characters here, Brennan's psychologist. Finally, I own something! If the producers want to work something out about swapping rights, I'm sure that can be arranged._

_Chapter Ten_

_Two weeks later…_

Temperance couldn't believe where she was. She stood outside a wooden door in a long hallway of a medical building and stared at the simple brass sign on the door, her hand resting uncomfortably on the door knob. But, she remembered her promise to Booth and finally opened the door.

The receptionist smiled at her as she walked up to the desk and began the registration process. She was given forms to fill out after having her insurance card collected and took a seat in the simple but well decorated office. Brennan's mind clicked into automatic mode as she filled out the patient history questionnaire. Her only difficulty came when trying to describe what was bringing her into the office today. She didn't really feel as though she was having problems to warrant seeing a psychologist, but had relented after a considerable amount of coercion not only from Booth and Angela, but from Dr. Goodman as well. She stared blankly at the offending space on the paper before finally writing _nightmares_.

Paperwork now finished, she made her way back to the front desk and turned in her assignment. She then resumed her seat in the waiting room as she waited for her name to be called. Butterflies flew around her stomach as she waited and she hated herself for it. There was absolutely no reason to be nervous. She was only here to get everyone off her back and then she could go back to the way things were before.

The door opened and a short red haired woman opened the door behind the desk.

"Dr. Brennan?" Temperance was the only one in the waiting area. She stood up and followed her down the short walk to the office. She allowed her to go in first and have a seat as she closed the door behind them.

"I'm Erin O'Halloran" she said as she reached out her hand to shake Brennan's.

"You're Dr. O'Halloran?"

"That's what they tell me" she said with a little bit of a laugh. Temperance stared at the young woman across from her. Not only was she seeing a psychologist, but she was seeing one who couldn't be any older than her? How could she possibly have the experience? For the moment she forgot all of the times that her experience had been questioned on her way to who she was as she glared at the woman across from her.

"Dr. Brennan, are you okay?" Her question snapped Brennan back to where she was and temporarily lifted the fog.

"I'm fine" she muttered back.

"Okay, let's get started then." She picked up the form she had filled out minutes earlier and scanned it's contents. She stopped over chief complaint. "You're having nightmares?"

"I only wrote that down because I don't think I really need to be here and that's what seems to have everyone else worried."

Erin looked up from her paper and stared at Brennan quizzically. "Then why is it that you're here?"

Brennan sighed deeply and looked down at her hands which were nervously folding and unfolding in her lap.

"Are you having nightmares?"

"Well, not nightmares, per say, just not always the most pleasant dreams."

"And you don't consider those unpleasant dreams nightmares?"

"No."

"But your friends and colleagues do."

"Yes."

Things didn't get any better as the session progressed. Dr. O'Halloran pressed Brennan for a little while longer before finally dropping the subject and moving on to another topic. The only thing that Temperance would discuss was her work at the Jeffersonian and her writing. She refused to talk about anything that had to do with what had landed her in the hospital or her personal life. Brennan had been so frustrated in fact that fifteen minutes into the session she had gotten up and walked out, leaving the stunned psychologist alone in her office to ponder her strange behavior.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Booth had been anxiously waiting for Brennan to come home. Today had been her first appointment with the psychologist. Arms folded, he paced back and forth through the spacious living room. Just when he was thinking that he could actually see the treads he was leaving on the hardwood floors, he heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock of the front door. He stopped where he was across the room as his eyes caught the stormy blue ones he saw before him. Their gazes locked for a moment before she took off down the hall away from him.

Closing the door behind her, Temperance removed her bag from her shoulder and flung it in a chair across from her desk. She sat down in her comfortable chair, brought her arms up onto the desk and buried her head in her hands. She heard Booth's gentle knocking coming from the other side of the door. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, least of all him. She turned on her computer and hoped if she didn't answer him, he would leave her alone.

She should have known that would never happen.

"Temperance?" he asked quietly. He paused for a few moments and got no response. "I'm guessing it didn't go well." Still nothing. "Bones?"

She sighed deeply. Clearly he wasn't reading her subtle signals to go away. She got up out of the seat and flung the door open. A stunned Seeley jumped back away from the wrath of his girlfriend.

"Don't call me Bones!"

"I'm sorry, Temperance. I just wanted to see how your doctor's appointment went."

"I don't want to talk about it." She turned away from him and headed back to the safety of her desk. He followed her and stood behind her chair once she sat down. Booth laid his hands down on her shoulders and feeling how tight her muscles were, began to gently massage the tension away. As soon as he began the massage, she could feel her body begin to respond to him. She dropped her chin to her chest and began to take long, slow breaths. Booth could feel her begin to relent.

"You really aren't playing fair Booth" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know" he said simply continuing to work the tension out of her muscles. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No." She was nearing sleep when the smell of food hit her. She all of a sudden realized how late it was and that she hadn't really eaten all day. "You brought home Wong Foo's?"

"Well, I didn't want to risk you're cooking."

She stood up and smacked him playfully on the arm before bringing her arms up behind his head and bringing him down to kiss her. They lingered for a moment until the kiss began to get a little too heated. She could feel his arousal press into her and she wriggled even closer to him before suddenly breaking away and heading for the kitchen. A stunned Booth was left standing in her office. _She could be so damn unpredictable sometimes_ he thought to himself, but he wouldn't trade it for the world.

He followed her into the kitchen and began to help her sort through the various cartons of take out. Their eyes met when they accidentally bumped hands reaching for the sesame chicken. A spark passed between them as their gazes locked. He smiled at her and she shyly smiled back. Eventually she would open up to him, she always had in the past at least. But for now, he would have to be patient and wait. When she wanted to talk, he would be there for her.

_That's all for now! Please hit that little button on the way out and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Another kind of transition chapter here, setting up for more major plot to come. I think I have most of the rest of the story figured out in my head, I now just need to get it all down. Any suggestions on plot ideas are always appreciated as always._

_Thanks again!_

_GG _


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry for the long wait in between updates again. No great excuses here except for my ever busy schedule. I'm being forced to take a break now since I am home recovering from surgery today. I have four whole days off without either job or training and it will be a little while until I am able to get back into active training. So since I was kindly loaned a laptop (my wrapped and bandaged leg won't fit under my desk in my office) I am going to try and get a handful of chapters written while I'm off. I'm not going to post them all at once so that updates will be a little more frequent for a while._

_Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad everyone still seems to be enjoying the story. Get ready, I'm about to drop a major bomb on you guys here!_

**Chapter Eleven**

_5 Days Later..._

Seeley Booth was at a loss for what to do. He found himself staring into the fountain in the park that he had brought Temperance to on the night they had first made love. He had left work in the middle of the day after Rebecca had announced to him that she had been transferred to Los Angeles for her job. She had to leave D.C and move there with his son. It infuriated him beyond belief that this was happening. He barely got to see his son now. What would happen if he moved all the way across the country? Rebecca had told him that if he really loved his son as much as he said he did, he would move with them.

Work would be no problem. He could easily be transferred to the field office in L.A. Just as long as he wouldn't have to be partnered up with Agent Finn. He wondered if she had ever gone on to write her screenplay or if she was still with the Bureau. He didn't really care, just as long as he wouldn't have to work with her again.

His relationship with Bones was the only thing keeping him from going with his son. They had only officially been together for a short time, but he had been in love with her practically from the moment he had met her. Practically a moment went by when she wasn't on his mind in one way or another. He loved everything about her-her shy smile that would appear every now and then, her incredible intelligence (that almost always made him feel inferior and yet was still a turn on) and the way she opened herself up to him. They had faced incredible odds and challenges and had made it past them all so far. After he had almost lost her in South Carolina, he knew he would never be able to give her up and live without her.

But could he give up his son? Parker was a very perceptive child and was now at an age where he was questioning why his dad wasn't around as much as the other kids' fathers. With almost the entire country between them, how could he still be an active participant in his life? Even though he didn't get to spend a lot of time with his son, he knew Parker loved him and enjoyed the time they did spend together. But, he was still young enough that if another man were to become a permanent fixture in Rebecca's life that he could be replaced. In his heart, he knew could never choose one over the other. He loved them both too much.

After spending an hour at the park looking at the fountain while trying to figure out what to do in this impossible situation, he decided that he would ask her to come with him to California. She could get a job anywhere in the country. Any institution would be thrilled to have a scientist like her on their staff. But, he knew how much she valued her work at the Jeffersonian and her team.

Brennan had been alone for the most part after the disappearance of her parents and her brother's abandonment. The squints had become her family after she had put them together all those years ago after starting at the Jeffersonian. He knew that he had become a part of her extended family as well. But, he hadn't known her for as long as she had known Angela or the others. Would she be able to give it all up and come with him for a life he wasn't sure that she wanted? _Only one way to find out _he thought as he turned from the fountain and began to walk in the direction of the SUV.

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Traffic had been a bitch getting back to Temperance's apartment that day. He pulled into the parking spot next to hers and made his way to her apartment. He felt his heart in his chest beat out of control as he stood in front of 2B. He took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

The front door swung open and Booth stepped into the foyer. He glanced around the spacious apartment before his eyes finally settled on her form in the kitchen. He had to laugh silently at the image that was before him. Brennan was on her hands and knees with a bucket filled with soapy water next to her on the floor. Long yellow rubber gloves covered her hands and her arms. Her hair was pulled back into a sloppy pony tail. Half of her work outfit had been abandoned to perform her task and she was left wearing just a tank top and jeans. She had been busily scrubbing at the already immaculate floor for who knows how long. As he stepped into the kitchen she looked up from what she was doing and smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. Just what do you think that you're doing Bones?"

"This floor was just a mess. I'm going to have to say something to the cleaning service. They did come this week, right?"

"They were here two days ago."

"Oh, I must have just forgotten."

"You don't just forget things Bones. You have one of the best memories of anyone I have ever met. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Booth. I just have a lot going on at work. And my publisher is pushing hard for my next book. Maybe I just need to manage my time a little more efficiently."

"You've got to be kidding me. You do not need to improve your time management skills. Maybe you're just tired. Take it easy a little, huh?" He took one of her hands and helped her up off the floor. "Come with me."

She held onto his hand and followed him into the living room. He removed both of the rubber gloves and took her hands into his, pulling them into his lap. He ran his thumb along her finger and over the ring that she continued to wear. He looked deep into her eyes and he tried to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

"Bones, I have something to tell you and I'm not quite sure how to say it, so I'm just going to go for it." She looked into his warm brown eyes and saw the raw emotion behind them. He gave her a pathetic attempt at a charm smile and took a deep breath. "Rebecca came to see me today."

She tried not to let it show how much that bothered her. Why was his ex coming to visit him in the middle of the day?

"Okay, go on."

"She's being transferred to Los Angeles and she's taking Parker."

"Booth, I'm so sorry. That's got to be so difficult for you. I mean you hardly ever see him now, what will it be like if he moves that far away?" He grimaced on the inside as her sometimes inept social skills bubbled to the surface.

"I'm hoping I'll never have to find out."

"You don't think she's going to go?"

"No."

"What exactly are you saying Booth?"

"Rebecca offered me a proposition."

"She did?" Brennan tried not to let the fear creep into her voice.

"She said that if I move to California with them that I could spend more time with Parker and be involved more in his life."

"So, you're moving to California?" Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she took a deep breath desperately trying not to cry in front of him. Not that she had never cried in front of him before, but this could be a very good thing for him. For Parker and him. Now was not the time for her to think of herself, she had to think about what was right for Booth and his little boy.

"If it was just me, I would go in a heartbeat. But, I can't imagine not having you in my life. I love you far too much to ever leave you." He took another deep breath in as he saw they tears she had been trying so hard not to let fall slowly slide down her cheek. A warm sense of relief filled her body until she heard what he had to say next.

"Will you go with me?"

_I am so sorry for leaving it this way, but don't worry. I am planning on working on the next chapter tonight and tomorrow and I am going to try my hardest to have the next chapter posted either tomorrow or Saturday night. Seeing as I am not allowed to drive for another day or so, I don't think it should be too much of a problem. I'll really be persuaded if I get some reviews._

_Thanks!_

_GG_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks for the reviews and continued support! This is probably the fastest update I've posted since I started this story. I'm going a little stir crazy at home not able to work, train or even drive anywhere yet. This is a nice little distraction. As I was writing this, my previous ideas for plot went out the window. I don't know, maybe it's the pain meds. Hope you all like it anyway._

**Chapter Twelve**

"_So, you're moving to California?" Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she took a deep breath desperately trying not to cry in front of him. Not that she had never cried in front of him before, but this could be a very good thing for him. For Parker and him. Now was not the time for her to think of herself, she had to think about what was right for Booth and his little boy._

"_If it was just me, I would go in a heartbeat. But, I can't imagine not having you in my life. I love you far too much to ever leave you." He took another deep breath in as he saw they tears she had been trying so hard not to let fall slowly slide down her cheek. A warm sense of relief filled her body until she heard what he had to say next._

"_Will you go with me?"_

She had said that she needed time to think. Time to process everything that had happened to her. Time to figure out what she really wanted. He had let go of her hands and enveloped her into a comforting embrace. He told her he understood that this kind of a decision wouldn't be easy to make and that he knew she would be making big sacrifices for him. For his son. A child she barely knew.

If she moved out to California with Booth and Parker, her life would change drastically. She knew that if she went along with them her priorities would be different. All of a sudden work would not be the center of her existence. They would be. Brennan never considered herself to be the wife and mother type. And after the disaster of her own family experiences, she knew she could never put a child through what she had gone through. Granted, Parker was not biologically hers, but she would still most likely be a big part of his life.

She knew she could get a job anywhere. Temperance got job offers all the time from places all over the world. Now and then she would occasionally consider taking them when things got tough at the Jeffersonain but she had never really given serious though to leaving it all behind. She supposed she could even take time off from her day job and focus just on writing for a little while until they got settled. Her publisher would be thrilled. It would be just as easy to work out of Los Angeles as it was to work out of D.C.

What kind of expectations would Booth have? If she moved to be with him, she would have to go public with their relationship. Where would they live? Together? Or would they each have their own respective places? Would he expect marriage? Children of their own even?

All those thoughts raced through her mind as Booth continued to hold her and reassuringly stroked her hair. Silent tears fell from her eyes and onto the soft cotton of his shirt as she silently cursed herself for not being able to commit to the man she loved and their uncertain future.

Booth didn't hold any of it against her. He knew what kind of woman Brennan was when he got involved with her and he loved her for it. Of course he wished that she would throw caution to the wind and come with him but he knew that she would work things out in her own time. She always had before anyway.

A few days after their conversation Brennan took some time off work and set off with Booth to Los Angeles to help him find a place to live. They began to get him settled into his new life. His transfer to the L.A. field office would be ready for him whenever he chose to start. Cullen had given him a glowing recommendation. He was also happy to hear that Agent Finn was no longer with the Bureau and was relieved to hear that she would not be partnering him.

For the time being he settled on a two bedroom townhouse close to where Rebecca and Parker would be living. He decided to rent month to month even though it was a little more expensive just in case things didn't work out and Rebecca had to move back to D.C. or if Brennan would decide to change her mind and come live with him.

The townhouse was just the right size for three of them temporarily. Booth wanted to make sure that Temperance would be comfortable coming out to visit him, so they picked out the place together. The first night that they had spent together in the condo had been magic. They had found a decent Chinese restaurant close and ate picnic style on the living room floor. They made love in the master bedroom and fell asleep curled up together after. When Brennan woke the next morning secure in Booth's loving embrace she tried to shake the feeling that maybe this was where she was supposed to be after all.

All too soon it had been time to head home. Temperance was in charge of getting Booth's personal belongings to him and she found herself spending more and more time at his place than her own in the weeks that followed his departure. It was comforting to her. It still smelled like him. She could practically feel his presence in the rooms that were being emptied of their contents. The furniture remained because it was too big and bulky to have shipped all the way to California, but most of his other things had been packaged up and shipped off.

She closed the lid on the last box of the night and sealed it shut with packing tape. When she was finished, she looked up and glanced around his empty home. She felt the now familiar and overwhelming sensation to cry at seeing the empty space. Since when had she become so emotional?

Brennan heard a soft knock at the door and remembered that she had asked Angela to come help her with the last of the packing. She had come over straight after work that night and had attacked the packing. Now, it was done and she had forgotten to call Angela and tell her that she wasn't needed after all. _Too late_ _now_ she thought to herself as she opened the door for her best friend.

"Hey Bren." Angela gave her a warm smile that Brenna attempted to return.

"Hey, come on in." Angela stepped into the apartment and stared at how empty it was.

"You got a lot done."

"Yeah."

"Well, since you're done early, we should go out. There's this new bar opening and-"

"I don't think so. I'm really tired Ange."

"You look exhausted. How are you sleeping?"

"About the same. Fine, I guess."

"About the same is not fine sweetie. Have you been back to see the doctor?"

"No, absolutely not. That was such a waste of my time."

"You didn't really give her much a chance Brennan."

"I didn't have to. You know how I feel about psychology."

"Of course I know how you feel about psychology! We all do. You have made your point abundantly clear. But you have to do something. You aren't sleeping and all you do is work at work. You never come out anywhere with me anymore and I'm afraid you are making yourself sick. I saw you run to the bathroom twice this morning looking more than a little green."

"I just have a lot going on right now Angela. I'll be fine in a few weeks once everything calms down and I adjust to all the changes. It's just right now…" She let the rest of the sentence trail off as her voice cracked and fresh tears threatened to fall. _Damn it, not now!_ She couldn't allow herself to be any more emotional and give Angela any further cause for alarm

"And you are so emotional." All of a sudden a little light went off in Angela's mind and her eyes got very wide as she understood. "Oh my God Bren, are you pregnant?"

Temperance stared at her friend in astonishment as her question took effect. All of a sudden, it was too much. Everything went black as she passed out and slumped to the floor. A stunned Angela checked her friend to make sure she was still breathing before taking her cell phone out of her pocket and frantically dialing 911.

_That's all for now! Fast enough update for you all? Well, I've thrown a lot at you in the last two chapters, now tell me what you think. I'm stalling a little on what the next chapter should hold for our favorite duo, and some reviews could maybe encourage me to get it all down (wink wink nudge nudge)._

_Thanks!_

_GG_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reviews of the previous chapter! Well, this update's not as fast as the last one but still faster than I had been posting before. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read (and hopefully review)._

_I also noticed that I've forgotten to post the little disclaimer the past few chapters so this goes for this one and any I might have missed along the way. I don't own anything Bones, no copyright infringement intended._

**Chapter Thirteen**

The soft steady beat of monitors was what pulled her from her deep sleep. Temperance opened her eyes and gazed at the strange and unfamiliar room surrounding her. She was in a hospital room_ again_. That much she knew for sure. How she got there was unknown to her. She rubbed her eyes and tried to clear her sleep muddled mind attempting to focus on what had happened to her to land her here. Could this be some recurring effect from her previous injuries? _Not likely_ she thought. That was weeks ago. She had thought all traces of her injuries were gone.

She glanced around the empty hospital room and wished there was someone here to tell her what had happened. Looking down, she spotted an IV in her arm. She looked up at the label on the bag and saw that it was just saline. Couldn't be too serious if all they were giving her were fluids right? No pain meds, she guessed that was a good sign.

She heard hurried footsteps coming down the hall. Then Angela breezed in through the open door. Her best friend dropped the bag she had been carrying on the floor and gave Temperance a big hug.

"Sweetie! You're awake!"

"Yes, I'm awake and wondering what is going on here. Why am I back in the hospital?"

Angela stepped back out of her friend's embrace and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "What's the last thing you remember Bren?"

"I remember being at Booth's apartment packing up the last of his things to send to California. Then, I'm not really sure."

"You don't remember what we were talking about last night?"

"You were there?"

"I came over and we talked a little before you passed out. Don't ever do that again Brennan-you scared the crap out of me!"

"What caused me to pass out?"

"You really don't remember do you?"

"Just tell me Ange!" Brennan's clear blue eyes were wide open as she looked at her friend hoping she could give her answers to the questions running through her head.

Angela sighed and tried to answer as calmly as she possibly could. "You're pregnant Brennan."

Temperance started to look a little pale again. She really didn't know what else to say at the moment, so Angela left her shocked friend after making sure that she wasn't going to pass out again and went to find a doctor. She reappeared only moments later dragging an unsuspecting young doctor through the doorway. She released him and he stumbled to find his footing.

"Explain to my friend exactly what is going on with her please."

He straightened his white coat and grabbed her chart off the foot of the bed. "Ms. Brennan you are approximately eleven weeks pregnant. Congratulations."

"Dr. Brennan and that's not possible. I can't be pregnant."

"You are a normal healthy woman of childbearing age. Have you been having intercourse?"

She looked down at her hands playing with the thin white blanket covering her legs. She quietly answered "Yes."

"Then I guess it's not as impossible as you think." She wanted to smack him for his smart ass reply, but thought better of it.

"But I'm on the pill and very careful."

"It's not one hundred percent effective as you know. And if you are having intercourse and everything is as it should be then there was always a chance that you could get pregnant."

"I guess I just can't believe that I am in that very small fail rate."

"Well, believe it or not, but you are."

Temperance stared back at the young doctor thinking that there was no way this could possibly be true. As soon as she was released she would make an appointment with her own doctor who would tell her that he was wrong and she was not pregnant.

"Good luck Dr. Brennan. Seeing as everything else appears to be normal, we'll go ahead and release you. You'll need to make an appointment with your doctor to follow up and begin your prenatal care." He turned to leave, but hesitated. Turning back around, he pulled out a small black and white photo. "We did an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and estimate how many weeks you are. This is your baby's first picture."

Temperance accepted the ultrasound picture from the doctor and gingerly held it in her hands. She stared down at the strange image before her. Angela, who had been sitting in the uncomfortable chair next to her bed, took her friend's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Silent tears began to fall once again as she contemplated what all this would mean for her.

She was released from the hospital later that afternoon. Angela had driven her home and after getting her settled in bed and making sure that she had eaten she had left after Brennan promised to call if anything wasn't right. Since then, Temperance hadn't moved from that spot on the bed. She had tried to sleep and failed. She had tried to write and found that she couldn't concentrate. At least the nausea hadn't hung around all day today. Looking over at the alarm clock on the nightstand and seeing that it was late, she was overwhelmed by a sense of being very alone. _Not really alone_ she thought. She would never be truly alone again. Her hand drifted to her abdomen and gently settled there.

Her mind drifted to thoughts of Booth. She wished he was here with her. Then again did she really want him here? She didn't quite know herself how she felt about this situation yet. She had always known that she didn't want children. It wasn't that she didn't like them, she did. She just knew she was not cut out to be a mother. Not to mention what if something happened to her or Booth like what had happened to her parents? How could she leave a child like that?

Her gaze shifted from the rainy night outside her open window to the ultrasound image laying on the nightstand. She picked it up and held it carefully between her fingers. Brennan tried desperately to decipher the strange picture. She could differentiate the difference between fetal bones, but this was a challenge. After looking at it from all different angles, she eventually gave up. That damn thing was impossible! There was no way she could be a good mother if she couldn't even tell the difference between the tiny fetus's head from it's butt.

Would Booth have been able to understand it? He had been through a pregnancy once before, sort of. He knew Rebecca hadn't let him be a very active participant in the whole thing, but he had to know more than she did about the parenting thing. Temperance knew how he felt about kids and that he would jump at the chance to have more and be involved in their lives.

She knew that if she called Booth and told him what was going on, he would drop everything and come to her. But then he would be forced to leave Parker. She wasn't ready to give up everything here and move to California, but she wasn't about to make Booth choose between Parker and the new baby she was now carrying.

No, first, she needed to decide what she wanted to do. Ultimately it was her decision. He wasn't the one that would be carrying the child for the rest of the forty weeks. It wasn't him that would have to go through labor and delivery. She would ultimately be sacrificing most aspects of her life for this child. Did she really want to give up her less than child friendly life?

All of this would have to wait until at least tomorrow to be decided. Her eyelids began to feel very heavy. She placed the ultrasound picture back down on the nightstand and rolled over to go to sleep. Maybe when she woke up tomorrow this would all be a bad dream.

_That's all I have for now. Hopefully I answered your questions and you all aren't wanting to throw things at me. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible. It might not be this week because I have two weddings this weekend. But, I'm still not allowed to start back to training for another two weeks at least and hopefully will be able to update more often and finish this story. I figure I've past the half way point now. The rest of the story will deal with decisions about Brennan's pregnancy and the Booth/Brennan relationship. Please review-I'll be forever grateful!! _

_Thanks!!_

_GG_


	14. Chapter 14

_Sorry for the long delay. I went to read through the previous chapter in preparation for this one and when I saw the last update date, I nearly fell out of my seat. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and continued support and patience with my busy schedule. _

_Still do not own Bones or the place she visits in the beginning of this chapter (even though it was where I held my very first job)._

_Author's Note: Happy 2nd birthday to my wonderful nephew Ryan!_

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Three days later…_

The large double glass doors slid open and Dr. Temperance Brennan, world renowned forensic anthropologist and author, stepped into the last place on earth she ever thought she would be.

_Babies R Us._

Still finding the answers to her questions about wanting to go through with the whole pregnancy thing unanswered, she decided that the most logical thing for her to do was to observe different aspects of life with a baby. Babies R Us, she figured, would have women that were still expecting and women who also had already delivered their babies. As soon as she walked into the store, she felt an overwhelming sense of unease. Her nausea was returning, but this time she didn't think it had anything to do with morning sickness.

The store was enormous. Feeling determined to continue with her assignment, Brennan took a deep breath and forced herself to keep walking through the store. She turned to the left and headed straight into a department called Infant Care. One of the walls was made predominantly of bottles and other feeding supplies. In all of her years as a scientist, she never could have imagined the large selection spread before her. A bottle was a bottle after all. What could possibly make one of these so different from another?

After passing a wall another wall devoted entirely to bibs, she came to the next section, Baby Gear. She examined the infant car seats and contemplated how one of these would ever fit into her tiny sports car. Some of the car seats had stollers attached to them. She attempted to remove one and soon became frustrated when she couldn't figure it out. Feeling like an idiot, she pushed it back up against the wall and quickly left that area.

Diapers and formula were at the very back of the store. _Finally, one area that shouldn't be too_ _difficult _she thought. Wrong again. She again felt the nausea creep up again and thought she would be sick. Damn hormones! Thankfully she could see the sign for the restroom. Brennan made a bee line for it and nearly collided with a woman pushing a cart with one of those strange car seats on the top of it.

"I'm so sorry!" Temperance exclaimed.

The other woman had been looking at one of the end caps and hadn't seen her until she said something. The other woman turned around to see what was wrong and when Brennan saw who she was, she nearly passed out. Dr. O'Halloran. That whole expereince had not been one of the highlights of her life. After getting mad and leaving in the middle of a session, Brennan had vowed never to see her again. Of all the people she could have run into, she had to run into her.

"Dr. Brennan, what a surprise! I didn't figure this to be a typical hang out spot for you. You don't really seem like a baby store kind of person."

"I'm not, Dr, O'Halloran, trust me."

"What are you doing here? And since this is outside the office, please call me Erin"

A single logical thought could not form in her mind. How could she ever explain the real reason she was here to her former psychologist? If she hadn't already thought she was crazy, she would now. So, instead of saying anything, she stood in silence.

"Are you shopping for a gift?" Of course! A gift! Why hadn't she thought of that?

"Yes, a gift, I'm shopping for a gift. For a friend. A friend who is having a baby."

Erin looked at her with a strange expression on her face but continued ahead anyway. "You look like you could use some help. Is your friend registered here?"

"Registered?"

"Yes, registered?"

"Registered for what? To vote?" Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to understand what the other woman was talking about.

"No, for her baby shower? It is a shower gift you're looking for right?"

"Right, a shower gift for my friend who is having a baby!"

"So, is she?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure she really isn't into that kind of thing."

"Okay. You look kind of lost, do you want help selecting a gift?"

Maybe getting advice from her on something other than psychology might not be a bad idea. "Okay, thanks."

"This is Aiden, my son. He'll help you select a great gift for your friend."

The nausea began to go away as they started to make their way through the store again. The happy baby cooing in the car seat looked a lot like Erin. He had her red hair and fair coloring. In the back of her mind, Temperance wondered whether the child she was carrying would look like her or Booth. Maybe even a combination of the two of them?

Now that they were getting into more comfortable conversation, Brennan had to know. Erin wasn't wearing a wedding ring. She wondered if the baby's father was involved at all or if she was doing this alone. Both scenarios could be possible for her and from a scientific stand point, it was best to gather all the facts possible before making an informed decision.

"Is Aiden's father around at all? See, my friend is most likely going to be a single mom. Her baby's father lives all the way across the country after being transferred for...for work."

"No, but I'm not alone. I have wonderful support system of family and friends that love me and Aiden."

"What about work? How can you still run your practice and still make time for your son?"

"I won't lie, it's not easy. Aiden's father left me after finding out he was going to be a parent. I hate to admit it, but I considered having an abortion. My practice was just starting to take off and being a single mom would mean a lot of sacrifices. But if it's something she really wants, your friend will find a way to make it work. Nothing in life ever worth having is ever easy. Now, I love my son and can't imagine what my life would be without him."

Brennan stopped to consider that as they looked at the frames in the last part of the store. With Erin's help, she selected a simple silver frame that had a place for the baby's name and date of birth to be engraved once the baby was born. It easily could pass as a gift for her friend.

Just then, Aiden began to fuss and Erin had to leave. She had been carrying him and when he started to cry, she passed him over to Brennan. She held him awkwardly and swayed gently trying to soothe him as his mom looked for her keys. He began to quiet down and by the time Erin had located her keys, he was cooing contentedly again.

"You're a natural you know. Babies can tell those kind of things." Temperance thanked her for all her help and said good bye to Aiden. She felt a pang in her stomach as the baby and his mom left and hoped the morning sickness wasn't returning. Somehow she doubted it was.

Temperance took the frame to the check out lane and paid for her purchase. She already had picked what she knew would look perfect in the frame. That tiny child had given her hope that maybe she really could do this.

Now, if she could only figure out a way to tell Booth.

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll try and post the next one sooner than this one. Next chapter, Booth will be brought back into the story. I've missed him and am anxious to have him back. _

_Babies R Us really can be an overwhelming experience. I worked there for over three years and when we registered my sister for her shower and realized how much would actually be coming into the house and how many choices there are for everything, my head began to spin a little. Reviews are appreciated and welcomed. Hopefully the 200 mark will be broken by this chapter. _

_Thanks again!_

_GG_


	15. Chapter 15

_Okay, I am officially the world's worst updater. However, in my defense, I just wrapped the Nutcracker on Ice last weekend and have been missing the fun of all the rehearsals and performances. It would really make my day to get some reviews for this newest chapter (wink wink nod nod). _

_Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review for this story. It has surpassed the 200 mark-yeah! And thank you again for your patience with me and my busy schedule._

_The beginning of this chapter is rated a very strong T, just to let you know._

_Oh, and on a side note, wasn't Judas on a Pole an awesome episode? That's the end of my incredibly long author's notes-on with the story!_

**Chapter Fifteen**

The morning sun streamed through the open windows settling gently on the exposed skin of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan. They were sprawled across his unmade bed with the sheets tangled all around in a very compromising position. The light illuminated the red gold of her hair as he gently ran his fingers through her soft curls. Her bright blue eyes locked onto his chocolate brown ones and he could see the desire in them which was equally reflected in his own.

She was close. His other hand began to move, down past her breasts and over her abdomen, teasing her before finally arriving where he intended. Her eyes slipped closed in pleasure and she moaned contentedly, almost there. Her own hands pulled him even closer than before and right before she could tumble over the edge, her cell phone rang. Booth stilled his movements as both their focus was now lost. The stupid phone gave a second shrill ring as her partner looked at her questioningly.

"Aren't you going to get that?" he asked.

Her eyes fluttered open and she disappointingly surveyed her surroundings. She was back in her own room, alone in bed, highly aroused and now very frustrated that it had all been a dream. The second trimester of her pregnancy had brought on a whole new wave of desire. Being away from Booth and not having anyone to release those biological urges on was becoming more and more of a challenge. Thankfully she was due to fly out to California in just two days. Then maybe she would feel more satisfied, at least for a little while anyway.

Adjusting her eyes to the dark, she glanced over to the clock on her nightstand that told her it was after midnight. The phone that had ruined her moment with dream Booth continued to ring. She grabbed it in annoyance and looked to see an unknown number flash on the caller ID. She could tell from the area code that it was a Los Angeles number, but not Booth's which had already been programmed into her phone.

"Brennan" she muttered, sleep evident in her voice.

"Dr. Brennan?" asked a woman's voice form the other end of the phone.

"Yes, this is Dr. Brennan. Who is this?"

"I'm Rebecca, Parker's mom?"

"Rebecca, yes I remember you. Why are you calling me? Is Booth okay, did something happen to him?" In that instant she was wide awake. All of her fears about her partner and his job ran through her mind. Why else would Rebecca be calling unless something had happened to Seeley?

"Seeley is fine." Rebecca heard the other woman let out a relieved breath. "Actually, he's better than fine. He is doing very well. He and Parker and I have been spending a lot of time together. He's getting the chance to be a real father now."

"That's great, Booth loves that little boy so much and has always wanted to be more involved in his life. I'm glad you are giving the opportunity to really be his father."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because what I have to say next, won't be easy for you to hear." Brennan's stomach began to nervously flip flop. "I know you two have become close over the last few months."

"Yes, we're seeing where things go."

"But you love him, right?" Rebecca paused waiting for her to answer. Her small quiet response could barely be heard over the long distance connection.

"Yes, I do love him."

"And you want what's best for him?"

"Of course."

"Well, what's best for him is to be with his family. Parker and I are his family."

Temperance began to be angry with the woman on the other end of the phone and her voice began to get louder and louder with every word. "Parker is his family. You lost that when you wouldn't marry him and pushed him out of his son's life."

"I never meant to hurt Seeley, I just did what I thought was best at the time. Since he has been out here and spending so much with us, I saw what I should have seen a long time ago. We belong together. The three of us are a family. Being a father and being part of a family makes him happy. Can you promise him that?"

Temperance felt as though a giant weight had been placed over her chest and she couldn't breathe. Could she ever really offer Booth the family that he needed? After everything that had happened in her past would she be able to be a good wife and mother? Would she be able to put Booth and the baby before her career? Did she even really want that?

Then it hit her. If she was questioning again if she even wanted to be a wife and mother, then she really wasn't ready for it. She was being selfish and stupid to think this would work out. She had to do what was right for Booth. And that was to keep him with his family.

"Dr. Brennan, are you still there?" Temperance had gotten lost in her thoughts and forgotten that she was still on the phone.

"Yes, I'm still here."

"I know this is hard to hear, but I think it's for the best."

"I will take this all into consideration. I can't promise I'll break up with him, but I will think about what all this could mean for all parties involved."

"Thank you Dr. Brennan." The call disconnected.

Tears began to fall from Brennan's eyes as the truth hit her full force. She wasn't going to make any promises to the other woman just yet, but she knew what she would have to do at some point. She had to break up with Booth and let him move on with his life. She had never been right for him. He deserved to be with someone who could really love him and give him the life she knew that he really wanted.

Temperance lay back down in her bed and pulled the blankets around her trying to comfort herself. Her hand settled on her abdomen which was becoming slightly rounded. She traced tiny little swirls on her stomach trying to imagine what it was like in there for the tiny fetus. She didn't know what she would do with the baby. She had finally decided to try and move to California so that he could be around for the baby, for both of them. So much for that idea. Who was she kidding anyway?

She could keep it and raise the child alone. It would be hard, but not impossible. Thousands of women did it everyday. But then, if Booth ever came back, what would she tell him? He would never forgive her for keeping his child away from him.

She could always give the baby up for adoption. That might be the best thing for everyone involved. Once it was born, she could go back to her career and immerse her self in her work, forgetting everything that she could have had. Booth would never have to know. So far, Angela was the only one who knew about the pregnancy and Brennan was sure that she could convince anyone else who would find out not to tell Booth. After all, it was what was best for everyone.

What she did know was that she loved the baby already. As much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't. The baby was her and Booth and had been created out of their love for one another. But, it would be better off without her as a parent to screw it up. If she gave the baby up, she could choose the parents and make sure the child would be well taken care of.

Sleep evaded her for the rest of the night. When the sun finally began it's ascension into the sky, she got up and began to get ready for the day. She showered and dressed quickly before heading to the Jeffersonian. Once there, she pushed all thoughts of Booth and the baby to the back of her mind. At least until lunchtime when she made a call.

Temperance pushed the speed dial button on her phone and rang the number for Booth's condo in Los Angeles, knowing that he wouldn't be home in the middle of the day. She was too afraid to call his cell, knowing that once she spoke to him, all her resolve would be broken and she wouldn't be able to go through with it.

"Booth, it's Brennan" she began. "I won't be able to make it to L.A. this weekend. A new body was just delivered to the Jeffersonian and it needs my immediate attention. I'll be busy all this weekend, so you won't be able to reach me." Tears silently rolled down her cheeks. _Damn_ _pregnancy hormones._ She almost hung up, but added at the end after a pause.

"I love you. Good bye."

_That's all for now! I'm on my way to practice tonight, so if there are any typos sorry, but I was in a rush and wanted to get this posted while the ideas were flowing. Reviews would be much appreciated! _

_Try not to hate me too much, I started all this before season 2 where we actually meet Rebecca and she turns out not to be all that bad. Sorry if it's now OOC. _

_I will try and have something up over the holiday weekend, but just in case, Happy Holidays!_

_GG_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi there everyone! Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter. And for the story ideas. I hope to use some of them in the coming chapters. Please keep them all coming. They defintely help to inspire faster updates. More of Booth's POV in this chapter-enjoy!_

_Even though I begged and pleaded, I did not get Bones for Christmas. So, I guess I still don't own them. I did however get a DVD recorder so that at least I won't be taping on VHS any longer! Hope everyone had a good holiday and for those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas!_

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Later on that day…_

Booth had definitely been disappointed after getting his partner's message that she wouldn't be coming out to see him that weekend. He had been looking forward to her visit, practically counting down the minutes until she would be back in his arms, ever since she had gotten on the plane back to D.C. Every moment that he spent away from her seemed like an eternity.

This was the longest they had ever been separated since becoming partners and he didn't like it one bit at all. Los Angeles was just too far from D.C., too far from his Bones. Even when they weren't a couple, he could always think of some excuse to drop by the Jeffersonian or make a casual phone call.

Now his wait would be even longer. Her general message had him worried. It wasn't just that she wouldn't be coming to see him, as much as he didn't like that. He could have sworn form the passionate kiss at the airport that she would have been equally as happy and eager to see him too. The tone of her voice was off. She sounded sad. Was she sad because she had to work and wouldn't be able to see him? Or was it something else entirely? He was normally good at reading people, especially her. It was always easier to do in person when he could see their facial expressions and read their body language. But, even though he couldn't see her, he knew something was not right.

But, even though her message said that she wouldn't be available at all this weekend, he knew he had to call her. Even if she didn't pick up and he could only leave a voicemail, he needed to try and reassure her in any way possible.

That's exactly what he did. He pulled his cell out and punched in her speed dial number. Immediately he heard her voice on the other end as it went straight to voicemail.

"Bones, it's me, that great boyfriend of yours who misses you terribly and wishes you could be here this weekend with me. But, I understand that you have to work. Maybe next weekend? Anyway, call me if you get a chance later on. I miss you. I love you Bones, talk to you soon."

He disconnected the call, promising himself that if he hadn't heard from her by Sunday, he would call again. Just to make sure that she was okay.

The weekend came and went without any return calls from Brennan. He called again on Sunday. This time the call didn't immediately go to voicemail. It rang twice and then went through to voicemail. Almost like she had the phone on her and didn't want to take his call. He left another message and continued to worry.

Monday and Tuesday followed the same routine. It didn't matter when he called, she would never pick up. He tried calling different times of the day and from different phones. Nothing made a difference. He knew she was avoiding him. In desperation, he decided to phone Angela on Wednesday. At least she would be able to tell him that she was alive. Unlike with Brennan, Angela answered her phone.

"Angela, it's Booth."

Angela had not been expecting his call. She hadn't talked to Brennan much this week at work. They were all focused on a new case and hadn't had much of a chance to catch up from over the weekend. She hadn't even asked her about her weekend away with Booth.

"Hey Seeley! How's everything in sunny California?"

"The weather's just fine. Is Brennan with you?"

"No, I'm not sure where she is right now. We have a new case that's keeping everyone hopping. Do you miss her already? God Booth, keep it in your trousers! She just left you on Sunday!"

"No, she didn't."

"Yes she did, I've seen her here this week. This new case came in Monday and I haven't seen her much since then, but I know I've seen her."

"That's not what I meant. She didn't leave me on Sunday because she wasn't here on Sunday. She didn't fly out this weekend like she was supposed to." It took a minute, but then he realized exactly what Angela was saying. "What do you mean Monday? She told me the new case came in right before the weekend and that's why she couldn't come out here. Angela, what's going on?"

Panic flooded Angela's body. _Oh shit!_ What had she just given away? And why didn't Brennan go out to see Booth? She knew she had been looking forward to seeing him and letting out all her pent up pregnancy sexual energy on him. What was wrong with that girl's hormone ridden mind?

"I'm sure it was a misunderstanding Booth. There could have been another case that only she was working on." She knew that was a lie and hated having to lie to him, but what could she do? Brennan obviously hadn't told him about the baby yet. She most certainly would not be the one to tell Booth that he was having another child.

"Angela, what's wrong?" Booth's voice began to take on a low raspy tone. She could tell he was getting mad.

"Nothing's wrong sweetie. But, talk to her Booth. Soon. She needs you right now." Angela disconnected the call before Booth could interrogate her any more. He was good at it. Another minute and she would have caved and spilled the beans about Brennan, the baby, everything. Definitely no more phone calls for her today. She transferred all calls to voicemail and hurried off to tell Temperance about what had just happened and to yell at her herself for being so stupid.

On Wednesday, per the new routine, Rebecca brought Parker over after school. He picked up his son and gave him a hug as the rambunctious four year old wriggled in his arms. But, his mind was still on the conversation with Angela that had ended over an hour ago. If Parker wouldn't have been coming over that night, he would have been on the first plane to Washington.

A sad smile crossed Booth's handsome features that did not go unnoticed by Rebecca. He set Parker back on the ground, who proceeded to run off into his room and check that all his toys were still there. Rebecca reached out and touched Seeley lightly on the arm.

"Is everything okay?"

"It's fine Rebecca" he answered gruffly.

"No, it's not. You were never a good liar Seeley. Tell me what's wrong." He sighed reluctantly.

"Stay for dinner. I'll tell you about it then."

Parker stayed in his room leaving the adults alone to talk. Booth busied himself in the kitchen preparing dinner. Rebecca poured herself and Booth glasses of wine, handed him his and began to quitely sip hers while waiting for him to talk.

"It's Temperance" he admitted as he began chopping the vegetables for the salad. Rebecca tried to contain her enthusiasm and forced the smile wanting to form on her lips to stay hidden.

"What about her?"

"She was supposed to come down here last weekend for a visit."

"I remember Seeley. You didn't want Parker here so that you could spend time with your girlfriend." Booth began to chop the vegetables more aggressively when he heard her choice of words and her tone.

"It's not that I didn't want him here Rebecca. They haven't spent all that much time together and I didn't think it would be good for either of them to be thrown into a new situation after everything they have both been through recently."

"True. And it's not like she's real great with kids."

"She did just fine with Parker the last time she saw him" he said defensively.

"I'm sure that she did."

"She left me a message saying that she had a new case and couldn't make it down here. Then, she doesn't return my messages or take my calls. I'm afraid something is wrong."

"Seeley, I'm sure everything is fine." She smiled sweetly at him and came over to stand behind him. "Maybe she just isn't ready to be in a real relationship or a family." She began to rub his shoulders and tried to ease some of the tension out of them. Booth's muscles tightened further at the once familiar gesture and stepped away from her.

"What are you doing?" He turned around to face her.

"Just trying to help you. I still care very deeply for you, even though we're not together."

"Really? You have an odd way of showing it. First off, you broke up with me after I asked you to marry me. Then you won't let me see my son and finally you forced me to choose between my son and the woman that I love."

"And you made the right choice. Now that it's just the three of us, we can be a real family."

"What?! The three of us are not a family. Parker is my family and you and I will always be connected because of him. But, I didn't move out here to be with you. I'm here for Parker. I love Temperance. I want to be with her."

"Even though she is clearly not right for you?" Rebecca's eyes began to tear.

"That's no longer up to you. Who I choose to be in a relationship with is my decision. She and Parker get along fine and that's where you're concern should end."

"Can she offer you everything that I can? Does she want to marry you and raise a family? Because I do! She's not right for you Seeley. She didn't even put up a fight when I told her any of this."

Every hair on his body stood on end as he took in the ramifications of what she had just said. His dark chocolate eyes narrowed in anger.

"Rebecca, what did you do?"

_That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed! Will B & B ever get back in the same city? What choice words will Brennan have for Angela after giving her up? And what about baby B squared? Stay tuned to find out. I'll try and update as soon as I can. (I know, I know, terrible way to leave the chapter) I have a few days off next weekend for New Years, so maybe by then. Hope everyone had a great holiday. Please drop me a review to let me know what you thought of this chapter._


	17. Chapter 17

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! More reviews for this chapter than I've had for some time-thank you so much! Especially since the alert system wasn't working at it's full capacity at the time. Thankfully that issue seems to be resolving. Sorry for the delay in this chapter. Terrible writer's block. I knew what I wanted to happen, but not how to make it all come together. I'm fairly happy with it now and I hope it's worth the extra wait. _

_Hard to believe, I know, but the change into 2007 did not result in giving me the rights to Bones. Maybe in 2008? Happy New Year!_

_Author's Note: Thank you to the Travelocity website. I (stupidly) couldn't remember the name of the big airport in L.A. and also got information on travel times and layovers. It was quite helpful._

_Rating on this chapter also is a strong T. Let me know if the chapters are bordering too close to M & if the rating needs to change to accommodate. _

**Chapter Seventeen**

Thank God Los Angeles was a large city and that LAX was a large and busy airport. Even as late in the day as it had been when Booth had arrived, he had still been able to get a flight to Washington D.C. Unfortunately the only available seats were in first class. Extremely expensive first class. He would be paying off those credit card bills for a long time. But, it would all be worth it as soon as he was with Temperance.

Seeley settled into the plush leather seat and stared out the window. Only another five hours and forty-three minutes until he would be landing at Dulles. Then he would drive like a madman in his rental car to Brennan's apartment. It would be very early in the morning when he got there, but he didn't care. After what Rebecca had told him, he couldn't get to her sooner.

What would have caused that woman to lose her mind the way that she had? How could she think that after everything that they had been through with their relationship and the fight over Parker that he would want to ever be with her that way? Their time and opportunity had passed.

She had known about his relationship with Temperance and knew that things were getting serious between them. She had told him that she saw it in his eyes the day of Parker's game. That at one point long ago, she had seen a look like that aimed in her direction. He had loved her, but not the way that he was in love with Temperance. He would never feel for another woman what he felt for Brennan. He had told Rebecca that.

Right before walking out the door.

He had bid Parker a quick good bye, hugging him tightly, and left them alone in the condo. Booth felt guilty about leaving his son the way that he had, but promised to make it up to him once he was able to talk to Brennan.

After what she had told him, how could he stay? He had gotten her to confess to calling Brennan and suggesting to her to break up with him, for his own good, of course. _What a load of crap!_ Rebecca had never had what was best for him on her mind. Hell, he even doubted that she had Parker's best interests in mind most of the time. She always had and never would care more about anyone else more than herself.

She had played off Temperance's insecurities about herself and about relationships in general. But, it wasn't all Rebecca's fault (as much as he would love to blame her entirely for his current situation). Just when they had become more comfortable as a couple, he had done the one thing that would make her doubt him. He had left her behind. Just like her parents had done all those years ago. He had finally gotten her to open up and take a chance on them. If he hadn't moved all the way across the country, would she still have cut off all communication with him after that phone call? Now he feared he'd never know.

He sighed and glanced down at his watch. Only another five hours and thirty-eight minutes to go.

_Seven hours later…_

Temperance felt a warm breath on her neck. Then strong hands swept the hair cascading over her shoulders out of the way and a familiar pair of lips began gently kissing the base of the sensitive skin of her neck just under the hairline.

She kept her eyes closed, shivering involuntarily at the contact, and attempting to prolong the pleasurable sensations stemming from her unconscious mind. The erotic dreams she had been experiencing were a constant companion in her sleep now. All of her pent up sexual energy mixed with the surge in hormones from the pregnancy were slowly driving her crazy. Not only were the dreams increasing in frequency, they almost seemed real. This one especially.

Her body felt so alive, tingling from the tip of her scalp to her smallest pinky toe. The smell of his aftershave combined with the smell that was uniquely his was intoxicating. His lips began dusting feather light kisses down her spine before curving around to her shoulder. His stubble brushed along the bare skin as goosebumps appeared on her arms. She felt the strap of her tank top fall down on her arm as he pushed it away and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.

She moaned his name softly and could almost feel his body being pressed against hers from behind, wishing that he was taking her into his arms and never letting go. Slowly, he kissed his way up to her ear and whispered "I knew you missed me Bones."

Eyes still closed, she nodded in agreement and sighed contentedly as he gently nipped her earlobe. She turned instinctively in his arms as he raised his lips to her forehead and laid a gentle kiss. Brennan snuggled into his embrace and wished that this dream would never end and that when she woke, he would be there for real.

Booth laid his head down on her pillow with her face inches away from his own. Tears began to flow slowly behind her closed eyes. He ran his thumb along her cheek in an attempt to dry them. That touch of his hand brought her the rest of the way out of her dream state and right into the chocolate brown of his eyes.

She couldn't believe it. He was really here! Not some wild and erotic figment of her imagination. It was really him! He saw a spark in her crystal blue eyes and knew there was no way she would have wanted to break up with him, not when she looked at him like that. _Damn Rebecca!_

"Hi Bones" he whispered softly, bringing his finger under her chin forcing her eyes to stay focused on him.

"Hi" she said almost shyly.

He closed the last remaining inches between them and kissed her, sucking gently on her lower lip. She kissed him back, softly first, not really believing he was actually here with her in bed. Then, she opened her mouth and let him in. Things began to heat up quickly from there.

One hand stayed at her cheek, lovingly stroking. The hand that had been tracing small circles where her tank top strap had been began to drift lower. It grazed the side of her breast, staying away from the most sensitive part. One of her hands had settled into his hair and she was running her fingers in it. His arousal had become prominent and urged her to continue on. Her other hand wound around his back and pulled him as close to her as possible. She was completely lost in the moment, forgetting anything and everything that wasn't her or Booth. Even her pregnancy.

Seeley's hand moved down from her breast, along her side and began to slowly move around to her slightly rounded abdomen, inching the tank top up. Her eyes flew open as his hand began to feel the soft curve of her bare belly as she remembered what she hadn't yet told him.

Panicking, she sat straight up in bed. Temperance pulled the duvet that Booth had been on top of protectively up under her chest and around her abdomen in attempt to conceal the barely noticeable bump. To anyone else her pregnancy would still be unnoticed. At almost four months pregnant, she still fit into most of her clothes even though they were beginning to be a little tight. At work, she usually had her lab coat on and that could help keep her secret from everyone for a couple more months at least. Angela was still the only other person that knew about the baby.

But, would he notice the change in her? Booth knew her body as well as she did. He knew every curve, freckle and scar. Not only was her belly getting bigger, it felt differently. She had always worked hard to keep her abdominal muscles (along with the rest of her body) in good shape. Her muscles were hard and tight from the years she spent doing martial arts. A firm round mass was beginning to take residence low in her abdomen where the baby was. But, he had left before she had known she was pregnant and she hadn't even really noticed any physical changes in herself until recently.

It had all happened so fast that the sudden motion had caught Seeley off guard. He was effectively thrown from the bed and landed with a loud thud as his body made contact with the floor. Thankfully, a soft area rug covered the hardwood floors and helped to cushion the fall just a little. One minute he was in the middle of a heated make out session with his beautiful partner and then the next, he was on the floor, on his ass.

It took him a moment to recover from the shock. When he did, he looked up to his girlfriend who was still in bed looking terrified. Had he done something to remind her of the attack? That had been months ago, and he had thought they were past all of that.

"Bones, what the hell was that for?"

She stared at him wide eyed and silent, unable to form a coherent sentence. Then her eyes settled back down onto the duvet as she began to play with the corner of it.

"Bones?" Still no answer.

"Temperance?" The use of her rarely used first name seemed to bring her back to him a little. She finally looked at him again. A single tear formed and fell silently.

He stood up and rubbed his backside gingerly, wincing at the contact. He would definitely have a bruise there later. Booth walked back over to her side of the bed and sat down next to her. She scooted away from him, with the duvet still covering her as much as possible. Then she laid back down, rolling onto her side, now facing away from him.

"What are you doing here Booth? You should be in California with your son and Rebecca." Her voice was almost a whisper as she tried not to let the emotion show in her voice.

"I know about what happened with Rebecca, what she said to you. As soon as I heard what she had done, I jumped on the first plane here." She still faced away from him. He looked over at the nightstand, checking the time on the alarm clock. It was very late. Maybe she was tired and overwhelmed. He noticed the red numbers reflecting on an unfamiliar silver frame. Booth leaned over and picked up the frame, trying to make out what was in it. He switched the lamp on the table on and stared down in disbelief. He hadn't seen many, but the fuzzy black and white image could only be one thing.

An ultrasound picture.

Why would she have an ultrasound image framed in her bedroom? Then he remembered how he had ended up on the floor. Right before he began to touch her stomach, she had tossed him. Now he knew why.

She was pregnant.

"Temperance we need to talk."

_That's all for now! Won't their talk be interesting? How do you think it will pan out? Let me know in a review! I'd love to hear from you. Probably no updates this weekend because of work and Show Me State Games, but I'll try not to keep you waiting so long._

_Thanks again!_

_GG_


	18. Chapter 18

_First off, thanks for so many wonderful reviews & encouragement! Sorry this took so long to post. It has two versions, similar to a previous chapter, and is longer than I normally write. One of the big reasons for the delay in this chapter was that I lost a good friend and mentor the end of January-just days after my last post. He had been ill for sometime and had been improving until just before the end. I've had a difficult time feeling inspired to do much since then. Not to mention working 60 hour weeks and intensive training. I'm starting to feel more like myself again and will try to update more often. Thanks for understanding. Anyways, enjoy the chapter & let me know what you think at the end! Also must add, no infringement intented, just borrowing them for awhile. Very strong T rating in this chapter (about the same level as before)-you have been warned._

_Brief recap-if you need more refreshers, please feel free to reread the story (even I had to go back to the beginning and go through it all again). Brennan and Booth had gone undercover as a newlywed couple in South Carolina. During their stay, they had grown closer as they were forced to act like husband and wife. After admitting their feelings to one another, Brennan was kidnapped, almost raped and seriously injured. Booth had of course come to her rescue and she was eventually released into his care. Booth moved into Brennan's apartment and they pursued a relationship. Rebecca got transferred to California for work and took Parker with her. Promising a relationship with her son, Booth had followed them there. Brennan chose to stay in D.C., but to try the long distance relationship. She soon discovers a very unexpected pregnancy and tries to figure out what she wants. Just when she thinks she knows, Rebecca calls to tell her what she believes is best for Booth (to be a family with her and Parker). Brennan's insecurities resurface and she breaks things off with Booth by refusing to communicate with him. Rebecca inadvertantly confesses to Booth that the real reason she moved was to bring the three of them together as a family because she is still in love with him. Booth drops everything to fly home to D.C. where he soon discovers Temperance's little secret. _

_Up to speed now? Good, here we go!_

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Why would she have an ultrasound image framed in her bedroom? Then he remembered how he had ended up on the floor. Right before he began to touch her stomach, she had tossed him. Now he knew why._

_She was pregnant._

"_Temperance we need to talk."_

Even before the words had come out of his mouth, she knew what he had seen. Temperance had felt the shift on the bed as he had reached over and the few moments of silence that followed were heavily weighted. She definitely hadn't been expecting him to drop by her place at this time of night. Especially when he was supposed to have been in California with his son. Since she had brought the frame home and placed the ultrasound photo in it, she had kept it on the nightstand by her bed. It was a constant reminder of the decision she hadn't yet made. The issue she had been so desperately trying to ignore, she was now going to have to confront head on.

He felt her body stiffen from where he was sitting on the side of the bed as the words came out of his mouth. She scooted even further away from him and continued to stay silent.

"Bones? This is what I think it is, isn't it?" _What else could it have been?_ He'd seen ultrasound photos before of Parker. Obviously, since her name was in the upper corner, it was hers. Wait, not just hers, _theirs_.

"What do you want me to say Booth?"

She didn't sound like her normal self, her voice almost seemed defeated. A million different thoughts were racing through his mind and he tried to settle on what to say that wouldn't push her any further away from him than she already was.

Seeley placed the frame back on the nightstand and turned towards her, laying back down on the bed. He edged as close to her as possible and spooned against her backside. He brought an arm up to caress her shoulder before lightly placing a kiss there. He heard her take a deep breath and paused, not sure how to explain everything to him. He tried to decide if his next move would end him up back on the floor and realized that even if it did, it would be worth it.

Booth's arm slowly began to move down and around to her stomach. He pulled the hem of her tank top up slightly, exposing her midsection, and gently smoothed his hand over her slightly rounded abdomen. She flinched slightly, still very uncomfortable with the whole situation. He let out the breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding when she didn't run away from him.

From them.

How she had become pregnant, why she had kept it a secret from him and all the other worries that invaded his mind fell silent as he realized the impossible. Temperance Brennan, the woman who had stated on live television that she wasn't going to have children, was pregnant with his child. Seeley had always wanted more children, but knew that most likely it would never happen with her. He hadn't cared about that as long as he had her in his life. She was more than enough to make him happy. He couldn't possibly imagine being any happier. He smiled against her shoulder as he gently rubbed her lower belly.

She felt him smile and despite herself, a small smile formed on her own lips. A few tears welled up once again as she silently cursed the pregnancy hormones. Brennan finally found the strength to face him and turned around in his arms until she was on her back, looking up into his deep chocolate brown eyes.

"I love you-both of you so much" he said.

"I love you too Booth" she answered. Closing the remaining distance between them, she brushed her lips against his. He kissed her softly before pulling back and staring into the sapphire blue of her eyes. Then, he gently lowered his head and kissed a trail down past her chest, to her stomach, stopping just under her belly button. He paused in equal parts wonder and awe taking in the sight before him.

He raised himself back up to look into her eyes once again. "This is incredible Temperance. I never thought this would happen."

"Neither did I." Her uneven tone spoke volumes in those three words_. Did she mean just the baby, or did she mean their relationship too? Did she mean it in a good way or a bad way?_

"Seeley?" The rare use of his first name pulled his mind away from the serious questions on his mind. "I never thought I would have to say this to you, but stop analyzing the situation." A moment passed as he realized that he had been doing to her what she had always done to him. He was constantly telling her not to overanalyze everything. A smile formed on her lips and he had to laugh at the irony of the situation. The tension in the room began to melt away.

"I really want you to keep doing what you were doing Booth. You have no idea how much I have missed you."

"You missed me? Dr. Temperance Brennan, world renowned forensic anthropologist and best selling author missed me, plain old FBI agent Seeley Booth?"

He was playing with her now and she wanted to once again gain the upper hand. She pulled him back down for another kiss, this one even more intense then the previous ones had been. As she broke the kiss, she whispered into his ear in the voice that she reserved only for him in times like this "You have no idea how much."

She began to kiss along his neck, and lowered her hand and felt his arousal through his pants. The combination of her low, husky voice and her touch caused him to swell almost painfully, against her palm. Brennan felt his pulse increase and smiled in satisfaction. A low growl rumbled deep in the back of this throat.

"We'll talk later though, right?"

"Right…talk…later" she managed to get out in between kisses.

"I mean it Bones, there's still a lot left unsaid." He gently pried her away from his neck and his hands settled on her shoulders as he stared into the deep blue of her eyes. His gaze and tone were serious. She knew there was a lot left unspoken between them, but there was no way that she could have this conversation now. Not when she needed him so badly.

"I know Booth, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just not right now, okay?"

Not one to upset his pregnant girlfriend, Booth decided to save his questions for later. Now wasn't the time to push the issue. It was better not to argue with Brennan, she always got what she wanted anyway. There would be plenty of time after for serious questions.

He kissed her on the lips again before moving down the soft curve of her neck andcontinuing lower. Becoming increasingly impatient, she reached for the hem of her tank top and started to pull it off.

"Someone's in a hurry" he quipped, which earned him a glare from his partner. Booth removed it the rest of the way and sent it sailing across the room. His hands smoothed her soft skin as he roamed all over her beautiful body. He gave in to what they both wanted so badly as he began to resume his earlier ministrations. His lips dropped to her stomach and kissed just over where he imagined the baby to be, before continuing lower. The silk sleep shorts she had been wearing were removed and tossed onto the floor next to the bed.

Temperance closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations of pleasure coursing through her body as he continued to touch her. Her hand wound through his dark hair as she grabbed a handful when he reached a particularly sensitive area. His warm lips felt incredible along the cool of her exposed skin. Anytime she was with Booth, he made her feel more alive than before. He was one of the only real things in her life. She had missed this so much and wondered how she could even have for a millisecond thought she could have spent her life without him. His lips eventually made their way back to kiss her passionately.

"I really did miss you" she whispered after he had broken the kiss.

'I can tell." She smacked him on the arm playfully as he gave her one of his best charm smiles. "I missed you too Bones." She gave him one more quick kiss on the lips as her hands settled on the waistband of his jeans. It took all of Booth's will power not to rip his clothes off, send them flying across the room and take her hard and fast right there. He knew she would be okay with that idea and that the release would be incredible. But, this was not just about satisfying biological urges. He had to show her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. Not just because she was carrying the child he never dared to hope that they would have. Because of her. He would love her no matter what the circumstances were.

He leaned back away from her momentarily and immediately regretted the loss of contact. It was a necessary evil, he really didn't want to make love to her with nearly half his clothes still on his body. They both moved to sit up. Temperance pushed his jeans and boxers further down and the rest of his clothes ended up in a pile on the floor next to the bed.

Now with nothing left between them, Booth wrapped his arms around her and laid them back down on the bed. He had always loved the way her body felt against his, her skin so soft and he could feel her heart beating in her chest. He loved it even more now as he could feel the beginning of the new life they had created together between them. His hands found her waist and settled there briefly before lightly running his fingers over her ribs.

"I love you" he whispered, looking deep into the endless blue of her eyes.

"I love you too Booth."

It was her turn to kiss him now. Passion and need overcame them as their bodies became one again. Both gasped as the sensations overtook them. It felt as if no time had passed since they were last together from the way that their bodies reacted, but at the same time it also felt as if it had been a lifetime.

After, he nearly collapsed on top of her. Seeley bent down to kiss her again, but had to pull back after a moment so that they could catch their breath. He smiled down at her and she smiled back at him. Concerned that he would crush her or the baby, he rolled them back so that they lay side by side. He continued to hold her afraid to let the moment pass. Their recent activities and all the sleepless nights now were catching up with her. She began to succumb to sleep as the rhythm of Booth's heart against her chest further relaxed her. Soon she was fast asleep. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and prayed that she wouldn't run away from this again.

_That's all! For those of you who were on the list for the M versions, you will be receiving them in your e-mail. If I miss anyone or if anyone new wants to read them, PM me with your e-mail address and I will send them your way. Will Brennan continue to deny herself and Booth the happiness they can have together? How will the pregnancy affect their relationship? Will the baby be a boy or a girl? And what will the rest of the Squint Squad think of all these new developments? And of course, what about Parker & Rebecca (still out in sunny California)? Stay tuned to find out! _


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